Pete Hegseth Awkwardly Smiles After Fox News Host Slips and Makes Major Error Live On Air — Amid Calls For Secretary of Defense To Be FIRED By Trump
Pete Hegseth had an awkward moment with Fox host Brian Kilmeade live on-air.
April 23 2025, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
Pete Hegseth's role as Defense Secretary is already a thing of the past, according to Fox News.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Brian Kilmeade made an on-air blunder while introducing his former colleague Hegseth, who blamed former staffers for Pentagon leaks as he continues to fight for his job.
Brian Kilmeade referred to Hegseth as the 'former secretary' amid reports Hegseth could be soon replaced.
As the political commentator welcomed his former Fox News pal, he subtly implied Hegseth, 44, was already history.
While speaking on Fox & Friends – a show Hegseth once co-hosted – Kilmeade kicked off the segment by playing clips of Donald Trump defending Hegseth.
Kilmeade said: "Here to set the record straight himself, uh, the former secretary... current secretary of state, Pete Hegseth."
The on-air mistake went unmentioned, and the interview proceeded as scheduled.
Hegseth went on to accuse former staffers of attempting to "sabotage" Trump’s agenda and claimed the "deep state" was actively undermining him.
He said: "They have come after me from day one like they have come after President Trump. I've gotten a fraction of what President Trump has endured.
"It is not hard to do this job, I know exactly why I'm here."
Amid revelations of a second Signal chat containing war plans, the removal of key Pentagon staff in a leak investigation, and reports of a Defense Department in crisis, Hegseth is scrambling to salvage his political standing.
He explained: "Folks leaking and pushed out are attempting to leak and sabotage the president's agenda and what we're doing. It is unfortunate, it is not what I do, not how we operate."
President Trump recently defended Hegseth, saying he's 'doing a great job.'
Hegseth said the allegations are "not based on how we're operating around here and none based in reality," adding: "Disgruntled former employees are trying to save their a--."
At the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, President Trump backed up his defense secretary.
Trump stated: "He's doing a great job. It's just fake news. They just bring up stories. I guess it sounds like disgruntled employees.
"He was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people and that's what he's doing so you don't always have friends when you do that."
He further suggested: "Ask the Houthis how much disfunction there is. There's none. Pete's doing a great job. Everybody's happy with him."
Hegseth also said he's not stepping down, explaining: "I have not blinked and I won't blink, because this job is too big and too important for American people and I'm grateful for every opportunity president has given me."
NPR recently reported the White House has discreetly kicked off the search to replace Hegseth – despite the vocal support from President Trump and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
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An anonymous U.S. official reportedly told NPR: "The White House has begun the process of looking for a new Secretary of Defense," though the person wasn't cleared to speak on the matter publicly.
And, if things end up going south for Hegseth, sources say TV insiders are already envisioning a potential comeback for him.
The investigation continues into Secretary of Defense Hegseth and partners' leaked texts.
Insiders at Fox News say there’s growing speculation about promoting Hegseth to a prime-time position if he's removed from the Trump administration, potentially shaking up the conservative media landscape.
A former Fox producer said: "He's still a hero to the MAGA base. Put him in primetime and watch the numbers skyrocket.
"The calculus is simple. If Trump doesn’t want him in the Pentagon, he could have a far louder megaphone at Fox."
