As Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth finds himself staring down yet another controversy and more calls from critics to resign, he has a potent ally not just in President Trump, but in Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

Influential MAGA voices have used their platforms to back Hegseth, who they see as a product of the movement. He is considered a dyed-in-the-wool Trump backer who is attuned to the president on culture war issues. Where critics see a lack of experience, supporters see a government outsider capable of enacting change.

“Much like Trump himself, Hegseth is viewed by the base as a genuine outsider and disrupter,” one longtime Trump adviser told The Hill. “And because of the years he spent on Fox, they feel a real connection with him.”

Hegseth has faced questions from the time of his surprising nomination about his judgment and ability to manage the vast Department of Defense. Those questions have resurfaced following fresh public criticism from his former aides and new revelations about his use of the Signal app to share attack plans with family members.

But the fierce reaction from Trump’s orbit underscores how Hegseth has a connection with the MAGA base like few others in the Cabinet.

“The secretary of Defense is doing a tremendous job, and he is bringing monumental change to the Pentagon,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.

“And there’s a lot of people in this city who reject monumental change, and I think frankly that’s why we’ve seen a smear campaign against the secretary of Defense since the moment that President Trump announced his nomination,” she added.

© The Hill