WATCH: White House reiterates support for Hegseth and slams dismissed employees

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is doing “a tremendous job” and “is bringing a monumental change to the Pentagon,” which she said had prompted a “smear campaign” against him.

Watch Leavitt’s news briefing in the player above.

She was asked by a reporter to square her comments that some of the recently departed officials from the Pentagon were disgruntled and working against Hegseth with the fact that they were part of his inner circle.

“They were Pentagon employees who leaked against their boss,” Leavitt said.

The dismissed employees have said their character is being slandered.