The revelation of battle plans on a chat app has created a new quandary for the defense minister.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has faced some expected challenges in his high-profile job, but he has also failed to outpace his boss, President Trump.
Even before he leaked secret plans for combat in Yemen in a group chat (information that could have put American fighter pilots in danger), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been through a tough two months.
Mr. Hegseth, a former National Guard infantryman and weekend host on Fox News, came to the Pentagon determined to outdo President Trump, Defense Department officials and aides said.
The president is skeptical of the value of NATO and European alliances, so the Pentagon under Mr. Hegseth has considered plans in which the United States would give up its command role overseeing NATO troops. After Mr. Trump issued anti-transgender orders, Mr. Hegseth ordered a ban on transgender troops.
Mr Trump hugged Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla. The Pentagon had planned the sensitive briefing to give Mr Musk a first-hand look at how the military would wage war on China, a potentially valuable move for any businessman with interests there.
In all these endeavors, Mr. Hegseth was thwarted by Republicans in Congress, the courts and even Mr. Trump.
Last Friday, the president made clear he was caught off guard by a New York Times report of a Pentagon briefing for Mr. Musk, who oversees efforts to shrink government, but also denied the meeting was planned.
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