NPR recently published an article which suggested that President Donald Trump is preparing to get rid of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

However, that claim was swiftly shut down on Monday via a social media post from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. 

Leavitt says Trump "stands strongly behind" his Defense secretary

According to Breitbart, Leavitt dismissed NPR's report as being an example of "fake news" originating from "one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about."

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 said this morning, he stands strongly behind ⁦@SecDef⁩. https://t.co/5Npig8968v

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) April 21, 2025

The press secretary went on to recall how "the President said this morning, he stands strongly behind [the secretary of defense]."

Breitbart noted that Leavitt was not alone in voicing support for Hegseth, as chief pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell did as well.

Senior Pentagon spokesperson lambasts "Trump-hating media"

Parnell put up a social media post of his own in which he denied a New York Times report alleging that Hegseth had shared information concerning military strikes on Houthi terrorists with his attorney and family members.

"Another day, another old story — back from the dead," the senior Department of Defense spokesperson wrote this past weekend.

He asserted that "[t]he Trump-hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump’s agenda.

"This time, the New York Times — and all other Fake News that repeat their garbage — are enthusiastically taking the grievances of disgruntled former employees as the sole sources for their article," Parnell  continued.

"They relied only on the words of people who were fired this week and appear to have a motive to sabotage the Secretary and the President’s agenda," he asserted.

White House figure slams "rumors" aimed at Hegseth

What's more, NewsNation spoke with an unnamed White House figure who complained of the "rumors" which "have been inaccurately spreading about Secretary Hegseth since the moment he was announced for the job."

"Military recruitment is soaring," the anonymous source pointed out before adding that "America is respected again, and the secretary is showing true leadership."

"Any notion that tries to make the argument that in less than 100 days President Trump is questioning any of his Cabinet choices, nevertheless firing them, is complete and utter nonsense," he or she concluded.