Trump Text Fiasco Suddenly Worsens as MAGA Knives Come Out for Hegseth | The New Republic
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Trump Text Fiasco Suddenly Worsens as MAGA Knives Come Out for Hegseth

As Trump allies begin turning on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth amid the darkening war-text scandal, Jennifer Rubin of The Contrarian explains why this will grow politically untenable for Trump and the GOP.

Pete Hegseth speaks to reporters during a White House briefing
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaking to reporters during a White House briefing

President Donald Trump’s own allies are beginning to turn on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Politico reports. White House and Pentagon insiders are increasingly questioning Hegseth’s judgment, and see him as the culprit in the disastrous news that Trump’s top advisers discussed war plans in an insecure chat. Yet there’s little indication that Trumpworld is ready for the next Hegseth fiasco, even as Trump allies clearly are bracing for his tenure to get worse. We talked to Jennifer Rubin, co-founder and editor in chief of The Contrarian, who explains how this scandal is revealing the sheer arrogance and untouchability that’s consumed Trump and his team, and why this will grow more politically untenable for them. Listen to this episode here. A transcript is here.