Bangladesh, April 22 -- The White House has issued a forceful denial of reports that it is considering replacing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, following bombshell allegations that he shared sensitive military information via an encrypted messaging app. The administration has dismissed the claims as part of a politically motivated media smear campaign, even as critics raise concerns about national security and calls for an official investigation grow louder.

The controversy began on April 20, when The New York Times published an article alleging that Hegseth used the encrypted messaging platform Signal to share key operational details regarding an impending US bombing campaign in Yemen. According to the Times, the information was sent t...