Trump Defends Hegseth, Calls Washington Post Report Treasonous

Trump backs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth amid press rumors, citing operations against Venezuela's Maduro and Iran while branding a Washington Post story false and treasonous.

First Published: August 6, 2026, 9:40 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, dismissing press rumors about his standing and branding a report about him treasonous.

Trump credited Hegseth with an operation against Venezuela that captured Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan leader Washington has long treated as an illegitimate ruler, along with military campaigns against Iran’s nuclear program. Trump said Hegseth ended diversity programs and lifted recruitment to record levels.

“In actuality, I really believe their fake “reporting” is treasonous,” Trump said in the Post, targeting The Washington Post.

The Defense follows a pattern in which Trump elevates cabinet officials facing scrutiny while attacking the outlets reporting on them, shifting the story from the underlying claim to the credibility of the press.

Here is the full Post on truthsocial: “The Fake News, as usual, is spreading false and completely unfounded rumors. I am extremely happy with the job that Pete Hegseth is doing. Everything has been extraordinary, including our attack on Venezuela, where the result was accomplished in less than one day, allowing us to bring one of the worst criminals anywhere in the World, Nicolas Maduro, to Justice! Likewise, Iran, where the country has been decimated for the purpose of NOT ALLOWING IT TO EVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, is going very well! Pete is highly respected within the Military, and has made tremendous improvements, including getting rid of DEI, and increasing recruitment to historic levels. This rumor was started by The Washington ComPost, one of the worst Media Outlets in the business, despite our telling them their story is completely FALSE. In actuality, I really believe their fake “reporting” is treasonous! Trump” on August 6, 2026 at 12:51 PM ET.

This is Trump’s 7th message released today, and the last Post was 30 minutes ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 4 of his 429 posts over the last 30 days classified as media bias posts.

The stakes fall heaviest on Hegseth, whose authority over the Pentagon depends on presidential confidence. A public endorsement insulates him from calls for his removal. The reporters and editors at the targeted outlet absorb the cost, as the treason label raises the temperature around routine coverage of Defense personnel.

Disputes between presidents and the press are not new. Fake news has been part of media since the invention of the printing press in the 15th century according to rjhssonline.com. The recent discourse on the term traces to the 2016 presidential election, when Trump faced allegations of promoting a series of fake stories according to rjhssonline.com. Sensationalism has long defined the form, with headlines that prove irresistible and content built to uncover a scandal according to rjhssonline.com.

For the average reader, the exchange affects how military decisions reach the public. When a president labels critical coverage treasonous, sources grow cautious and details about operations and personnel move more slowly into view.

This has happened before. Trump repeatedly rallied behind embattled officials in his first term, framing critical stories as fabrications and questioning the motives of national outlets. The Post ranks among his most frequent targets, drawing the recurring “ComPost” epithet in his posts.

No further decision on Hegseth’s status has been announced. Personnel authority over the Defense secretary rests with the president, and Trump signaled no intention to act.

Clashes between the White House and Washington’s press corps stretch back generations. Richard Nixon compiled an enemies list that named reporters, and his administration tried to block publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971 before The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against prior restraint according to britannica.com. Nixon left office two years later, and the newspapers he fought outlasted his presidency.