Bipartisan Frustrations Over Defense Leadership

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth used a signal chat to communicate military battle plans, again, according to reporting from The New York Times.

This second line of communication was opened back in March, around the same time as the infamous first chat, which had accidentally included a journalist. This latest – which Hegseth accessed via his personal phone – included his wife and brother. The Pentagon denies these latest reports.

Yesterday, NPR also reported that the White House is looking to replace Hegseth. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied the reporting and said President Trump stands behind him.

We discuss the latest and what this says about the state of the Pentagon and its leadership.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy