In a post shared on his Truth Social platform, Trump backed US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, rejecting media reports that questioned his leadership at the Pentagon. He praised the US military campaign against Iran, describing it as highly effective and claiming it had significantly weakened the country. “I am extremely happy with the job that Pete Hegseth is doing,” Trump wrote, adding that Iran had been “decimated” to ensure it could “never have a nuclear weapon.” Trump also credited Hegseth with boosting military recruitment and dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the armed forces. He also accused sections of the media of publishing false and misleading reports about the defence secretary.