President Donald Trump directly contradicted vice president JD Vance and indirectly called him a liar.
The president dismissed a question Tuesday from ABC News correspondent Terry Moran, who asked if he had complete confidence in embattled defense secretary Pete Hegseth.
“I don’t have 100 percent confidence in anything, okay – anything," Trump said. "Do I have a hundred percent? It’s a stupid question."
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Moran insisted the question was "pretty important," and Trump disagreed.
“No, no, no,” Trump said. “You don’t have a 100 percent. Only a liar would say, ‘I have 100 percent confidence.’”
That stands in sharp contrast to the vice president's remarks a week ago, as Hegseth faced another round of criticism for using the non-secure Signal app to discuss military operations in a group chat that included his wife, who does not hold a security clearance.
“I have 100 percent confidence in the secretary," Vance told reporters during a trip to India. "I know the president does, and really, the entire team does."
“It’s one of the most bizarre things about the Hegseth nomination," Vance added at the time. "From the very beginning, the media seemed to want to take it, and when they failed, and he got confirmed, they decided they wanted to keep on that effort to destroy Pete Hegseth as a man as the secretary of defense, I think he’s doing a great job."
Trump suggested that Hegseth, a former Fox News host and combat veteran, needed time to grow into the job.
"I had a talk with him, and whatever I said I probably wouldn't be inclined to tell you," Trump said. "But we had a good talk. He's a talented guy. He's young. He's smart, highly educated, and I think he's gonna be a very good defense -- hopefully a great defense secretary."