Pete Hegseth just can’t stop himself from using Signal. The defense secretary installed the encrypted-but-unclassified messaging app on a desktop computer in his Pentagon office to work around restrictions that prevent him from using personal devices to communicate with people outside headquarters.

President Trump and Vice-President Vance are standing by Hegseth despite the swirling controversy over his handling of the Defense Department.

Pete Hegseth hosted Fox News shows for years before becoming Donald Trump’s defence secretary. On Tuesday morning, he took to the conservative US cable network to mount a defence against a torrent of criticism about his actions at the helm of the Pentagon and the turmoil that has embroiled the world’s most powerful military agency.