As the "Signalgate" scandal continues to grow, a key Trump-aligned advocacy group that has gone to bat for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fallen conspicuously silent, Politico reported on Wednesday.
"Veteran Action, which promised to boost the Defense secretary before adopting a more expansive advocacy agenda in the midterm elections, stepped back just as Hegseth came in for his latest round of controversy," reported Adam Wren. Additionally, "Two of the group’s top allies have also been exiled from the Pentagon — disrupting the group’s broader efforts to promote 'America First policies that support our Warfighters.'"
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Previously, Veteran Action vowed to defend Hegseth "100 percent" using a "smash-mouth" approach — but now, the founder of the group, Mark Lucas, says he has taken a step back for "Easter break."
Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, has been roiled by multiple allegations that he shared highly sensitive military war plans against Houthi pirates in Yemen in unsecured Signal chats, the first time leaking the details to a journalist at The Atlantic, the second time to a group that included his wife and brother.
All of this is occurring at the same time as a series of damning new reports at the breakdown of management at the Pentagon, with Hegseth cycling through advisers rapidly as people close to him feud with each other.
Publicly, Hegseth denied any wrongdoing and refused to step down. President Donald Trump signaled his intent to keep supporting Hegseth, and he and his loyalists denied reports that they're considering removing him. Behind the scenes, Trump and his inner circle were reportedly up in arms about the chaos unfurling in Hegseth's office.