US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not on his way out, according to Nettavisen. The denial came after CBS News reported earlier the same day that Trump had asked several advisers whether Hegseth should stay in the job.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Trump rejected the suggestion that a change at the top of the Pentagon was in the works, Nettavisen reports.
The questions about Hegseth's position followed a heavy defeat for the Republicans in the election. According to Nettavisen, it was against the backdrop of that loss that Trump was said to have sought advice on whether the defense secretary should continue in his role.
The White House has not offered any further detail beyond the president's remarks to the press. Hegseth's tenure has not been publicly called into question by Trump himself, and the president's comments on Wednesday were the first direct response to the CBS News reporting.
Nettavisen notes that the report about Trump consulting advisers came from CBS News, while the denial came directly from the president during his exchange with journalists.
What to watch next: whether the White House issues a fuller statement on Hegseth's standing, and whether further reporting emerges on the internal discussions described by CBS News.
