Exclusive: The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense secretary

By Tom Bowman

Published April 21, 2025 at 1:22 PM EDT

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to reporters during the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, the day after The New York Times reported that he shared information last month to a second private Signal group chat about upcoming strikes in Yemen. — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to reporters during the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, the day after *The New York Times* reported that he shared information last month to a second private Signal group chat about upcoming strikes in Yemen.

Updated April 21, 2025 at 13:48 PM ET

The White House has begun the process of looking for a new secretary of defense, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

This comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to find himself mired in controversy. NPR has also confirmed with the same official that Hegseth shared details ahead of last month's Yemen strikes with his wife and brother in a Signal chat on his personal phone, minutes after being updated by a senior U.S. military official. The news of the second Signal group chat about the mission was first reported by The New York Times.

In March, Hegseth shared details about action against Houthi targets in Yemen in a Signal chat with top White House officials that accidentally included a journalist.

In the last few weeks, four senior advisers to Hegseth have left abruptly, some accused of leaking. They have all released public statements suggesting infighting within the department of defense.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that there's an effort to replace Hegseth, posting on X that President Trump "stands strongly" behind him.

This breaking story will be updated.

NPR disclosure: Katherine Maher, the CEO of NPR, chairs the board of the Signal Foundation.