Donald Trump appeared unexpectedly in the White House briefing room on Monday alongside UFC President Dana White, defending Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Iran war while expressing support for Nvidia chief Jensen Huang after reports of an affair involving a suspected Chinese spy.
The appearance followed a heavy Republican midterm defeat that cost the party control of Congress, according to The Independent. The war, now running for more than eight months, contributed to the electoral losses as petrol prices surged. Originally reported by The Independent.
Trump backs Hegseth against impeachment push
Trump said the conflict would end soon but argued that protecting regional allies required a lasting settlement. He maintained that Iran had been severely weakened while remaining a threat to its neighbours.
His defence of Hegseth came as Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, reintroduced impeachment articles against the Pentagon chief on Monday. The allegations include conducting the Iran war without a declaration of war, statutory approval, an attack on the United States or an imminent threat.
Donald Trump said Hegseth was "certainly winning the war" and asserted that Iran wanted an agreement. Hegseth has consistently supported the military campaign.
White fields questions over press secretary offer
White joined Trump after the president publicly floated giving him the vacant White House press secretary position. Trump said the suggestion arose during difficult press coverage and characterised it as partly a joke.
Asked whether he had rejected the offer, Dana White replied: "I don't tell the president 'no' to anything." He also praised Trump's resilience when a reporter asked who would win a cage fight between Trump and former President Joe Biden.
The press secretary post became vacant after Karoline Leavitt departed at the end of August to spend more time with her family. Katie Zacharia subsequently held the role for five days.
Nvidia investigates foreign intelligence concerns
Trump also defended Huang after The New York Times reported his close relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese executive at a Singapore-based data centre that U.S. officials suspected of passing information to Beijing.
Jensen Huang acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife and accepted responsibility in a message to employees. Trump said the executive had told him he did not know the person involved was a spy.
Nvidia announced on Sunday that its board was opening an investigation following reporting that Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.
Originally reported by The Independent.