He blamed the latest reports on fake news and disgruntled employees.
Earlier, White House Press SecretaryKaroline Leavittsaid that Trump stands strongly behind Hegseth.
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Pete Hegseth at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday.Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The meeting was called off after media revelations, and Trump then denied it had been planned.
Trump himself has not yet commented, but Leavitt said blamed the situation on unnamed Pentagon officials.
They are leaking and they are lying to the mainstream media, she said.
