According to a new report, President Donald Trump is starting to get bored with the ongoing controversies currently plaguing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
While the president has stood by Hegseth in public, he has shown less enthusiasm behind closed doors, The Atlantic reported Friday, citing several unnamed sources familiar with the White House discussions.
“[Trump] he is starting to tire of the scandals that surround Hegseth and does not push back when others suggest that Hegseth is not ready for the job, an external adviser to the White House and a former senior administration official told us,” The Atlantic reported.
An unnamed senior executive told the outlet it had been “a difficult week for Pete.”
Spokesmen for the White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Independent.
The president’s apparent dissatisfaction comes as the Pentagon faces scrutiny for authorizing a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean on Sept. 2. The follow-up strike – dubbed by some as a double tap – was launched after two survivors were seen clinging to the wrecked vessel.
According to a new report, President Donald Trump is no longer pushing back when insiders complain that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not ready for the job. (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
On Thursday, Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, the Navy SEAL officer who heads US Special Operations Command, showed lawmakers footage of the deadly attacks and answered questions.
Democratic Representative Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters that the footage was “one of the most disturbing things I’ve seen in my time in public service.” In contrast, Tom Cotton, GOP chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the strikes “fair” and “entirely legal.”
Hegseth, on Tuesday, said the attack took place within “the fog of war” and said Bradley acted “within his authority and the law.”
Beyond the double tap controversy, Hegseth has drawn wider criticism for his campaign targeting suspected traffickers, which has resulted in at least 86 deaths. Some lawmakers and human rights organizations have labeled the attacks illegal, alleging they are being used to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Republicans, however, have largely supported the strikes, arguing that they help stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.
This week, the Defense Department’s inspector general also released findings from an investigation into Hegseth’s use of Signal chat to publish details about a strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The report concluded that first FOX Newsthe anchor’s actions could put US personnel in harm’s way. In a discussion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Saturday, Hegseth said he doesn’t “live with any regrets” about his use of Signal.
President Trump has publicly backed the Pentagon chief, telling reporters on Tuesday that “Pete is doing a great job.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also defended the military’s second strike in September. However, behind closed doors, things can be different, The Atlantic report claims.
On Thursday, Hegseth ordered a new strike that killed four alleged drug traffickers. (X/@Southcom)
“Trump was unhappy that a number of Republicans on Capitol Hill are using Hegseth’s record as a reason to stand in front of the White House, another sign of cracks in what until recently was unwavering GOP loyalty to Trump,” the outlet said.
This week, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told CNN that Hegseth was wrong to claim that the inspector general’s report on his use of Signal chat had exonerated him.
“No one can rationalize this as relief,” Tillis said. “We know the mission information was out of the classified environment it was trusted to be in.”
On Friday, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul asked Hegseth to testify under oath about the boat attacks.
“I think that Congress, if they had some kind of crime, would not be allowing this administration to summarily execute people who are suspected of a crime,” he said. The Independent.
Still, a number of Republicans stuck with Hegseth and claimed that the Pentagon is operating well under his leadership. And a senior administration official said The Atlantic that the president cannot afford to fire Hegseth and endure another Senate confirmation battle.
“People around the president have always felt that Hegseth is not really qualified for the job,” the official said. “But he trusted himself in the eyes of the president because he’s really dedicated to Trump. That goes a long way. Taking Pete, with all his baggage, is just how it’s going to be.”
At the same time, Trump has given no indication that the boat attacks will decrease. Instead, he suggested that the military campaign could escalate.
“Soon we will start doing it on the ground as well,” said the president on Wednesday.