President Donald Trump expressed his confidence in Pete Hegseth on Tuesday in an exclusive interview with ABC News, saying that he hopes that the former Fox News host will be a “great” secretary of defense in the midst of a group of press reports that question his leadership.
The interview is broadcast on ABC at 8 PM ET, 7 PM CT. It can also be transmitted later on Tuesday at ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
“I had a conversation with him, and whatever I said, I would probably not lean to tell you,” Trump told ABC News presenter and the senior national correspondent Terry Moran. “But, we had a good talk. He is a talented guy. He is young. He is intelligent, very educated. And I think it will be a very good defense, luckily a great secretary of defense.”
Trump’s confidence vote in Hegseth occurs in the midst of scrutiny on the use of Hegseth of the Signal application to communicate confidential military plans to the members of the administration and, in at least one case, his wife, who does not have a security authorization.
Asked by Moran if Trump has “one hundred percent confidence” in Hegseth, Trump returned his shot.
“I don’t have a hundred percent confidence in anything, okay? Anything,” Trump said. “I have one hundred percent? It’s a stupid question.”
Exclusive news from ABC: President Donald J. Trump sits with the presenter and national correspondent Senior Terry Moran, on April 29, 2025, since Trump marks his first 100 days in office.
ABC News
“It’s a fairly important position,” said Moran.
“No, no, no,” Trump said. “You have no hundred percent. Only one liar would say: ‘I have a hundred percent confidence.'”
