Hegseth maintains White House backing amid 'smear campaign' alleging likely ouster

The White House is steadfast in its support for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth amid media reports regarding his imminent ouster. 

Hegseth has attracted scrutiny once more in recent weeks after the New York Times reported Sunday that he disclosed details about a March military airstrike in Yemen against the Houthis in a Signal messaging app group chat that included his wife, brother and lawyer – about a dozen people in total – on a personal phone before his confirmation. Hegseth maintains...