Pete Hegseth may find a slot with his former workplace Fox News if Trump fires him after Signal debacle

Pete Hegseth may find a slot with his former workplace Fox News if Trump fires him after Signal debacle
Insiders said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's old workplace, Fox News, is 'ready to welcome' him back if President Donald Trump fires him (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Pete Hegseth might not be in the most comfortable position among the Washington elite following the Signal group chat fiasco, but insiders are saying that all is not lost for Donald Trump administration’s defense secretary as his old workplace, Fox News, is "ready to welcome" him back.

After the Signal group chat debacle, which left questions about the nation’s security hanging, Hegseth is speculated to have found himself in a tight spot.

Pete Hegseth pauses to talk to reporters after a series of meetings with senators in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on November 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. Hegseth was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next Secretary of Defense. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Pete Hegseth pauses to talk to reporters after a series of meetings with senators in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on November 21, 2024, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Though Trump and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt voiced their complete support for the 44-year-old former Army National Guard officer, all is not rosy for Hegseth, with speculations abounding that the White House has quietly started searching for his replacement. 

However, amid the speculations, a source told Hollywood insider Rob Shuter that Hegseth has nothing to worry about as Fox is planning his grand comeback in case he gets sacked from his White House duties.

Fox News eager to rehire Pete Hegseth in case he is fired from his position

Upon learning the insider information, Shuter wrote on Substack that Pete Hegseth is “more famous now than when he left," Radar Online reported. 


EXCLUSIVE: FOX NEWS READY TO WELCOME BACK PETE HEGSETH — IF WHITE HOUSE PUSHES HIM OUT by ROB SHUTER

Insiders say his return would be “ratings gold” as whispers of a primetime slot heat up

Read on Substack

 

In case his stint with the White House goes awry, Fox is ready to rehire him and is even planning to offer him a major upgrade from his old weekend slot at ‘Fox and Friends Weekend’, which he co-hosted from 2017 to 2024. 

Referencing Hegseth's high-profile position as the Secretary of Defense, Shuter wrote, "His name’s in the headlines, his brand is bigger, and his return would be ratings gold."

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - FEBRUARY 13: US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaks during a joint press conference held with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during the NATO Defense Ministers' meeting on February 13, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. NATO Defence Ministers are convening in Brussels for a meeting chaired by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Also in attendance is US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, marking the first visit to NATO by a member of the new Trump administration. High on the agenda for the allies will be ascertaining how the US intends to influence the trajectory of the war in Ukraine, as the conflict nears the third anniversary since Russia's full-scale invasion. (Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images)
Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaks during a joint press conference held with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during the NATO Defense Ministers' meeting on February 13, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium (Omar Havana/Getty Images)

Though it has not yet been formally declared, an anonymous source reflected on the possibility of him getting replaced, saying, "The White House has begun the process of looking for a new Secretary of Defense.”

However, he apparently has nothing to worry about as the Fox execs are already planning his potential comeback, with a former Fox producer even saying, "He's still a hero to the MAGA base. Put him in primetime and watch the numbers skyrocket."

In fact, the chatter song the network’s top bosses is that if Hegseth is actually released, he would be given a prime spot with the network. "The calculus is simple. If Trump doesn’t want him in the Pentagon, he could have a far louder megaphone at Fox,” shared an executive for the network.

Donald Trump supports Pete Hegseth after Signal chat leak

Despite the speculations of Pete Hegseth’s removal from the Pentagon, he has one solid backing in the form of President Donald Trump. 

Trump dismissed the concerns over the Signal leaks as a "waste of time," and added, "He's doing a great job — ask the Houthis how he's doing."

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt also took to X earlier this week to declare that the POTUS “stands strongly” behind him, as per Radar Online. 

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 15: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Leavitt took questions on the Trump administration's plan to block federal grants and contracts from Harvard University, deportations, a Russia peace deal with Ukraine and other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 15, 2025, in Washington, DC (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The Minnesota native clarified his stance about the Signal group chat leak among other gaffes, and denied any wrongdoing, saying, "This is what the media does, they take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people, ruin their reputation. It's not going to work with me."

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