WASHINGTON, April 22 2025 (BSS/TASS) - White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed as fake news a radio report alleging that the US administration is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as US defense secretary.

"This NPR story is total fake news based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about. As the President [Donald Trump] said this morning, he stands strongly behind the Secretary of Defense," she wrote on X on Monday.

Earlier on Monday, NPR quoted a US official who was not authorized to speak publicly as saying that the White House has been looking for a new Pentagon chief. According to the radio, this comes after the US defense secretary shared military operational details in a group chat.

On April 20, The New York Times reported, citing sources, that, in mid-March, Hegseth had sent detailed information on US strikes on Yemen to a private Signal messenger chat group that included his wife, brother and lawyer.