WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The infighting and backstabbing that plagued President first term have returned as a threat to his second, with deepening fissures over trade, national security and questions of personal loyalty.
The latest turmoil threatens to engulf the Pentagon, where Defense Secretary has and faces fresh controversy over about airstrikes in Yemen outside of classified channels. A former Pentagon spokesperson who was ousted last week wrote in Politico that Trump should fire Hegseth for presiding over a 鈥渇ull-blown meltdown."
Hegseth lashed out on Tuesday on Fox News Channel, where he was a weekend host before joining Trump's administration, by faulting the people who used to work for him.
鈥淭hose folks who were leaking, who have been pushed out of the building, are now attempting to leak and sabotage the president鈥檚 agenda," he said.
The interpersonal drama is not 鈥� at least yet 鈥� a dominant plot line of Trump's return to the White House. But its reemergence after a period of relative discipline in his ranks reflects a turbulent management style that has been suppressed or papered over, not reformed.
Trump's national security team was recently rattled by an Oval Office visit from , a far-right conspiracy theorist who has been questioning his staff's trustworthiness. The Republican president , emboldening Loomer to continue scrutinizing people across the administration.
In an with independent journalist Tara Palmeri released on Monday, Loomer mocked the idea that the White House is 鈥渙ne big happy family.鈥�
鈥淭he advisers don鈥檛 get along with each other,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he heads of agencies don鈥檛 get along with each other.鈥�
Tariff trouble causes friction for the Trump team
Much of the tension is connected to Trump's determination to use tariffs to , with officials often contradicting each other and occasionally turning to insults. Trump adviser , the billionaire entrepreneur whose companies could suffer from higher costs brought on by import taxes, sharply criticized , Trump's top counselor on trade, as 鈥渄umber than a sack of bricks."
White House press secretary dismissed the idea of growing dissension within the administration, saying there are 鈥渇ar more examples of the president's team working together enthusiastically and collaboratively to advance the administration's goals.鈥�
鈥淭he numbers and results of this administration speak for themselves,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he president and his team are getting work done.鈥�
Trump has always had a high tolerance for chaos, shunning to entertain divergent opinions and viewing unpredictability as a negotiating tool. He鈥檚 spent years fostering a competitive atmosphere among his staff members, who are often chosen for their devotion and penchant for aggression.
But now the increasing strife underscores the risks for more turmoil in the months ahead, as Trump presses forward with a dramatic overhaul of the federal bureaucracy, international trade, foreign policy and more.
, who served as national security adviser in Trump鈥檚 first term before writing a tell-all book critical of the president鈥檚 inner circle, said the drama reflects the lack of a consistent ideology and the inexperience of many administration officials.
鈥淭he only thing they have in common is the belief that they should show personal fealty to Trump,鈥� Bolton said. 鈥淭hat got them the job. That may in fact keep them in the job. But it shows how fundamentally unserious they are.鈥�
The situation is a test for Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, who helped run Trump's presidential campaign last year. She earned a reputation for imposing an unusual level of order on Trump's chaotic orbit 鈥� though she carefully avoided trying to 鈥� and he praised her as 鈥渢he ice maiden.鈥�
During Trump's first term, he had 鈥� one of them serving in an acting capacity for more than a year. The second, former U.S. Marine Gen. , became a sharp critic of the president after he left the job, describing him as during the 2024 election.
White House closes ranks around Hegseth
With his new administration, Trump has surrounded himself with loyalists, and he's been reluctant to throw anyone overboard in response to negative coverage from the mainstream media, which he considers to be an enemy. Allies say the hesitance to make personnel changes in this term is meant to deny giving a win to critics, even if it means leaving troubled officials in place.
On Monday, the president brushed off reports that Hegseth participated in a second group chat to talk about pending airstrikes in Yemen last month. , which used the encrypted messaging application Signal, involved top administration officials as well as the editor of The Atlantic, who was accidentally included in the discussion.
, first reported by The New York Times on Sunday, included Hegseth's wife, who does not have a government job, and his brother and his personal lawyer, both of whom work at the Pentagon.
鈥淪ame old stuff,鈥� Trump said when reporters questioned him about it during the . He said Hegseth is 鈥渄oing a great job鈥� and "it鈥檚 just fake news.鈥�
Leavitt, in an appearance on Fox News Channel, defended Hegseth with a swipe at the people who work for him.
鈥淭his is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and against the monumental change that you are trying to implement," she said. Leavitt's comment was shared by an official Defense Department social media account.
Trump loyalists 鈥� not just Democrats 鈥� are pointing fingers
However, some of those speaking out were among Hegseth鈥檚 top advisers.
John Ullyot, who served as a Pentagon spokesperson until he was , wrote in Politico that 鈥渋t鈥檚 hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer.鈥� He added that 鈥渢he president deserves better鈥� and 鈥渕any in the secretary鈥檚 own inner circle will applaud quietly鈥� if Hegseth is fired.
The disorder extends through the Pentagon's senior ranks. Three officials 鈥� Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll and Darin Selnick 鈥� were recently pushed out, and they issued a statement saying people 鈥渉ave slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door.鈥�
Hegseth did not deny the reports about his use of Signal. But he added: 鈥淲hat a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out."
Trump鈥檚 tariff plans have also been a source of stress inside the administration, often leading to . Navarro insisted there weren't going to be any negotiations, contradicting Treasury Secretary insistence that import taxes were about strengthening the White House's negotiating position.
The president from his plans, but not before Navarro and Musk began openly feuding. Navarro said Musk was 鈥減rotecting his own interests鈥� by opposing tariffs, and he described Musk's as a 鈥渃ar assembler鈥� that鈥檚 dependent on importing parts from overseas.
Musk, who advises Trump on ways to downsize the federal bureaucracy, responded by saying that Navarro was 鈥渢ruly a moron.鈥�
Leavitt downplayed the dispute by saying 鈥渂oys will be boys.鈥�
鈥淲e will let their public sparring continue,鈥� she told reporters. 鈥淎nd you guys should all be very grateful that we have the most transparent administration in history.鈥�
Trump often appears more interested in fealty than veracity. During part of last year's campaign, he traveled with Loomer, who has a history of making racist attacks on Trump's opponents and once claimed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an inside job.
After Trump won, Loomer became frustrated that she wasn't allowed to help vet administration personnel. She eventually secured an Oval Office meeting with the president, bringing research on national security officials whom she believed were disloyal.
After Trump fired some of them, Loomer has continued her work. Last week, she accused Bessent of inviting a 鈥淭rump hater鈥� to work with him on financial literacy efforts.
鈥淚 am going to personally tell President Trump and personally show him these receipts,鈥� Loomer wrote on social media, adding 鈥渟hame on鈥� Bessent.
Musk shared her post and chimed in with his support 鈥� 鈥渢roubling," he wrote.
Chris Megerian And Zeke Miller, The Associated Press
