By Gloria ogbonna
President Donald Trump forcefully pushed back on a series of anonymously sourced media reports alleging dissatisfaction with key members of his administration. Speaking during a roundtable with top tech CEOs in the Roosevelt Room on Wednesday, Trump made it clear that his confidence in Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem remains firmly intact.
Addressing reporters directly, Trump dismissed the stories as baseless political gossip, insisting that the claims he was growing frustrated with his cabinet were entirely false.
“I think my cabinet is fantastic,” Trump said. “I read the same stories that I’m unhappy with this one or that one, and I’m not. I think the cabinet has done a great job.”
He singled out Hegseth and Noem, praising them both for their leadership and dedication to his administration’s policies.
Trump pushed back against an Atlantic report claiming he was “tiring” of controversies surrounding Hegseth. According to the article, unnamed advisers suggested the president had become irritated with the secretary’s aggressive approach to combating drug trafficking.
“I read a story that I was unhappy with Pete because he was attacking drug dealers,” Trump said. “I said that’s not exactly right—it’s very much the opposite. Pete Hegseth has been phenomenal.”
The president reserved equally strong praise for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who was the subject of a separate MS Now report alleging internal frustration with her handling of border security operations.
“I read a story recently that I’m unhappy with Kristi,” Trump said. “I’m so happy with her. We have a closed border… the best border in the history of our country. Why would I be unhappy? She’s fantastic, actually.”
The reports claimed, citing unnamed White House officials, that Noem was not being aggressive enough in enforcing elements of Trump’s deportation and border security agenda—claims Trump flatly rejected.
Doubling down, Trump reiterated that his cabinet is functioning at a high level across all departments.
“No, we have a fantastic cabinet—really fantastic,” he said. The president even added a lighthearted joke about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, quipping, “Lutnick, I’ll have to think about,” before immediately praising his performance.
He went on to commend the work of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as well, emphasizing that his team is delivering results across the board.
“Howard’s done really well, and Scott’s done really well. We have just a fantastic cabinet.”
Trump’s comments were a clear attempt to shut down speculation fueled by anonymous sources—reports he has repeatedly criticized as unreliable and politically motivated.
.@POTUS smacks down the Fake News around his historic Cabinet: "I read these same stories that I'm unhappy with this one or that one and I'm not. I think the Cabinet has done a great job." pic.twitter.com/KavdUteZEb
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 10, 2025
By publicly and explicitly backing Hegseth and Noem, Trump sent a message that he is standing by the leaders overseeing some of the administration’s most critical policy areas: national security, border protection, and the war on drugs.
With the president’s renewed endorsement, both secretaries appear to have solid footing in the administration despite ongoing media rumors aimed at stirring internal drama.
Source Breitbart
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