Hegseth on ‘Signal Chat Controversy’: ‘What a Big Surprise that a Few Leakers Get Fired and Suddenly a Bunch of Hit Pieces Come Out’

EXCERPT:

REPORTER 1: “Do you want to say something, sir, about the Signal chat controversy?”
HEGSETH: “You know, what a big surprise that a bunch of -- a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax, won't get back their Pulitzers. They got Pulitzers for a bunch of lies. Pulitzers for a bunch of lies and on hoaxes, time and time and time again. And as they peddle those lies, no one ever calls them on it. See, this is what the media does. They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. Not going to work with me, because we're changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of warfighters, and anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees on old news doesn't matter. So I'm happy to be here at the Easter Egg Roll with my dad and my kids, because, you know, this is what we're doing it for. These kids right here. This is why we're fighting the fake news media. This is why we're fighting slash and burn Democrats. This is why we're fighting hoaxsters.”