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You are here: Home / National Security / Hegseth Remains Isolated and Defiant

Hegseth Remains Isolated and Defiant

April 21, 2025 at 8:45 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed a deepening controversy surrounding Pete Hegseth, declaring the embattled defense secretary is ‘doing a great job’ despite seismic dysfunction within the Pentagon amid political infighting, numerous firings, and reports he divulged to his wife, brother and lawyer the highly sensitive details of an imminent military operation,” the Washington Post reports.

“The turmoil elicited a rebuke from at least one Republican lawmaker, who labeled the situation a “meltdown,” and called into question how long Trump’s affection for the increasingly isolated and defiant Cabinet pick will last. Pentagon officials have watched the unraveling of Hegseth’s inner circle with alarm, concerned how it would function in a national security emergency and wondering whether the president may be forced to act.”

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Filed Under: National Security

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About Political Wire

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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