Trump Awkwardly Puts Pete Hegseth on Blast With Shady Comment About His Performance as Secretary of Defense

Donald Trump wants Pete Hegseth to know some people think he's doing a terrible job, RadarOnline.com can reveal, as the president made the Secretary of Defense feel mighty small during the Cabinet meeting.

Hegseth's public meltdowns and comments about the War in Iran have led to brutal backlash, with many speculating his job may be hanging by a thread.

On Thursday, March 26, Trump's attempt to compliment Hegseth and praise his work completely fell apart, as he instead brought up just how unpopular the former Fox News personality is these days.

"Somebody came up to me yesterday, gave you a very hard time," Trump claimed about Hegseth. According to Trump, an anonymous source told the president he "made a mistake" in hiring Hegseth, as the 45-year-old appeared to strain his face.

"Pete Hegseth is doing a great job," Trump noted, before adding a bit more gas to the flame. "When I tell you who, you're not even going to believe it. He gave you such a nasty, hard time."

Trump wrapped it all up by patting Hegseth on the arm a few times. The painfully awkward clip was spread on X, and critics were quick to accuse Trump of already throwing Hegseth "under the bus."

One person predicted, "Mind you... Hegseth will be one of his first scapegoats," and another quipped, "Trump's talking to Hegseth like he’s a 12-year-old who keeps striking out in little league."

A user added, "Oh yeah, he’s most definitely going to end up as the patsy," and a commentator reacted, "He is setting Pete up to be the fall guy."

Earlier this week, Trump appeared to put all the blame for the war in Iran on Hegseth while speaking at a conference in Tennessee. The president's decision to attack Iran last month has received a ton of flak from both Democrats and Republicans.

On March 24, Trump explained, "I called a lot of our great people... and I said, 'Let's talk. We got a problem in the Middle East. We have a country known as Iran that, for 47 years, has been just a purveyor of terror, and they're close to a nuclear weapon."

He then turned to his right and looked at Hegseth, before adding, "And Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up. And you said, 'Let’s do it, because you can't let them have a nuclear weapon."

The Secretary of Defense forced out a smile after his boss seemed to pull back the curtain on their private discussions. However, it was not the first time Hegseth's behavior behind the scenes had been revealed.

James Walkinshaw, who serves on the Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, recently claimed he witnessed Hegseth in classified briefings and noted how "embarrassing" he behaves.

"He can do nothing beyond read the script that's given him," Walkinshaw explained to Pablo Manriquez of Pablo Reports on the Meidas Network.

He added, "Walkinshaw added, "He can't answer detailed questions. He doesn't understand the strategy, not that there is one; he doesn't understand the tactical or operational questions."

"He is in way the hell over his head," Walkinshaw noted.

Hegseth's meltdowns also haven't helped his case; whether going off about "fat" soldiers or breaking down after being pressed by reporters about the war in Iran. Hegseth was also called a "true grifter" by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for spending billions on luxury items.

According to a recent analysis by the government watchdog Open the Books, Hegseth's Defense Department spent $93billion last September, the end of the 2025 fiscal year.

A lot of those expenses were on food, as it was reported Hegseth and his department spent $2million on Alaskan king crab and almost $7million worth of lobster tail. They also dropped $124,000 worth of ice cream machines and $140,000 on doughnuts.

Even Governor Gavin Newsom's press office mocked Hegseth by posting an image of him on a recliner surrounded by all his purchases, including a soft-serve machine.