Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, under an investigation for having poorly managed sensitive military information, went to Michigan on Tuesday alongside President Donald Trump in what seemed to be a demonstration of support for the Pentagon chief whose rocky mandate triggered the calls of the Democrats for his resignation.
Speaking at the base of the National Selfridge Air Guard, Trump presented his secretary to the defense to the members of the Guard, telling them that Hegseth was doing “a very good job”.
In brief remarks following Trump, Hegseth congratulated the president.
“It is only because the commander -in -chief invited me,” Hegseth said, giving Trump. “Mr. President, thank you for restoring warrior ethics in our training courses, for rebuilding our soldiers, to restore deterrence in the world and to make the Americans proud to carry the uniform.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks while US President Donald Trump listens to the Michigan National Guard to the National Guard of Selfridge Air in Warren, Michigan, April 29, 2025.
Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images
Hegseth added later: “Everything I always wanted when I was in battle was to know that my commander had my back whatever happens, and with Donald J Trump, this commander has his back.”
Hegseth’s office refused to answer questions about the reasons why he was added to Trump’s entourage as part of the President’s trip to celebrate his 100 days in power. Hegseth’s involvement has not been announced before.
Trump was to speak later to a rally crowd in Warren, Michigan, to boast his achievements in his first 100 days. He was joined at the base by the Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, when he announced that Selfridge would receive 21 F-15 fighters who will strengthen his future.
Infantry officer at the US Army National Guard, Hegseth was deployed in the bay of Guantanamo, Iraq and Afghanistan before leaving service with the rank of Major, according to the military archives.
“From the first day, our primordial objectives were clear: to restore the philosophy of warrior, to rebuild our soldiers and restore deterrence,” said Sean Parnell, senior advisor to Hegseth. “In 100 days, the Ministry of Defense and our fighters won historical victories for the American people.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News presenter, was accurately confirmed by the Senate earlier this year following allegations of financial mismanagement during a non -profit organization, sexual assault and excessive consumption – all the allegations he denies and said aimed to disseminate his reputation.
Two months after Hegseth took the pentagon bar, the Atlantic reported that it used the signal of the commercial messaging application to update other national security officials, including vice-president JD Vance, with detailed plans for a military attack on the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Hegseth then used a second signal cat to provide sensitive details to his wife, brother and personal lawyer, confirmed ABC News.
The Pentagon independent watchdog, the DOD interim inspector general Stebbins said that he would investigate the use of the signal by HegSeth and others.
Trump later told the Atlantic that he spoke with Hegseth following reports.
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth arrives before President Donald Trump talks to the members of the Michigan National Guard at the base of the National Selfridge Air Guard on April 29, 2025, in Harrison Township, Mich.
Alex Brandon / AP
“I think he’s going to come together,” said Trump about Hegseth. “I had a conversation with him, a positive conversation, but I had a conversation with him.”
Adding to the tumult is the departure of several best aids to the secretary. Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, recently resigned, entering a part-time advisory role. Hegseth dismissed three other close collaborators for what he said to flee, although employees say they have not been approached by the investigators and are not clear what allegations are. And a fifth advisor resigned, writing a scathing opinion article calling the management of HegSeth of the Pentagon “Total chaos. “”
For his part, Hegseth said he was fighting to adopt the president’s agenda. On Tuesday, shortly before leaving his trip with the president, Hegseth said that he had “proudly” put an end to a small program of the Department of Defense aimed at strengthening the participation of women by helping to resolve conflicts abroad, qualifying the effort as a “judicial initiative / biden of a awakened social judge”.
The program – called “Women, Peace and Security” – was promulgated by Trump in his first mandate in 2017 after several Republicans, including current members of Trump’s office, Kristi Noem and Marco Rubio, who were legislators at the time, sponsored the bill.
In 2019, the Trump administration described a strategy for implementing the program, in particular by emphasizing the representation of women by other countries during peace talks. Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump was one of her supporters.
“Peacebooks and peace consolidation efforts are more effective when women have influential roles,” the Trump administration wrote at the time.
But according to Hegseth, the program never worked.
“Politicians sink on it; The troops hate him, ”said Hegseth.
Hegseth recognized in a later position that the effort was indeed a Trump initiative with republican support. He then accused the Biden administration of ruining it.
In 2021, President Joe Biden and the Congress put $ 5.5 million in DOD expenses to the implementation of the law, including job and training staff.
