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The White House is standing by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following new reports that he shared sensitive military information in a second Signal chat, this time with his wife and brother. The development, first reported Monday, has fueled further scrutiny of Hegseth’s handling of secure communications, just weeks after a similar revelation involving top Trump officials.
What to Know:
- Hegseth is accused of sharing military details in a private Signal chat.
- The White House did not deny the latest claims, saying no classified data was shared.
- Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Hegseth and blamed “disgruntled employees.”
- President Trump praised Hegseth, calling him a “great” defense chief.
- Four senior aides left the Pentagon last week amid an internal leak investigation.
- The controversy comes after reports of Hegseth’s involvement in another Signal chat about U.S. airstrikes in Yemen.
Stay with Newsweek for the latest.
President Trump to meet with retail executives amid tariff concerns
= Trump is scheduled to meet Monday with executives from Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowe’s as growing concerns over his tariff policy ripple through the retail industry.
Trump’s sweeping tariffs—10% baseline and up to 145% on Chinese imports—have fueled fears of rising inflation and an economic slowdown, raising alarms across major U.S. retailers. An administration official confirmed the meeting, which was not listed on Trump’s public schedule, on the condition of anonymity.
The planned sit-down was first reported by Bloomberg News.
Donald Trump’s approval rating suffers triple blow
President Donald Trump on the south lawn of the White House on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. His approval rating has dropped in three separate polls.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
President Donald Trump‘s approval rating has slipped in three major polls in recent weeks, suggesting increased voter unease following a turbulent month for the administration.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email.
While the drops in each poll are modest, the consistent pattern across the different polling firms could suggest a broader shift in public sentiment.
The latest polls follow global turmoil triggered by sweeping tariffs announced by the Trump administration on April 2.
Several polls following the tariffs suggested that many Americans were feeling anxious about their potential economic impact, and that Trump’s approval rating on the economy was decreasing.