Trump Defends Hegseth and Huang in 30-Minute Briefing

President Donald Trump used a surprise White House briefing to shield Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang from growing political and legal pressure.

The unannounced meeting on Monday lasted slightly more than 30 minutes and marked the president's first formal appearance since Republicans suffered major losses in last week's midterm elections. Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White sat beside Trump but left the majority of the questioning to the president.

Trump dismissed an impeachment drive led by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who reintroduced articles of impeachment focused largely on the Iran war. The president argued that Hegseth enjoys the support of military personnel and pledged to back him if the House voted to impeach. He credited Hegseth with victories in Venezuela and Iran, even as peace talks in Iran stall and intermittent U.S. strikes continue. The House, still controlled by Republicans, would need a simple majority to send the case to the Senate. Only two cabinet members have been impeached in U.S. history, and neither was convicted.

Turning to the technology sector, Trump disclosed that Huang is under an FBI investigation. He said the two spoke on Monday to check on Huang's well-being. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded on Sunday that Alice Huang, a woman with whom the executive allegedly had an affair, was a Chinese spy. The two Huan are not related. Trump said the Nvidia chief told him he was unaware of her status, an explanation the president said he accepted. Huang acknowledged the infidelity in a Sunday statement, and the Nvidia board opened an independent investigation into the matter. China denied involvement, calling the allegations a smear.

Trump also addressed his comments from a 60 Minutes interview broadcast Sunday, where he described his deportation policies as excessively tough and hinted at working with Democrats on legal status. On Monday, he maintained that his policy had not changed but said he remained open to a deal. He ruled out amnesty without defining the terms of a potential agreement.

When asked about a Truth Social post questioning election results, Trump criticized early-vote numbers and reiterated his claim of foul play in Alaska's close Senate contest. His comments followed a statement last week indicating he was willing to accept the midterm results.

The briefing concluded with Trump jokingly offering the press secretary role to White, as he had done the previous week. White declined, stating he did not want to enter politics. The White House has lacked a permanent press secretary since late August, except for Katie Zacharia's five-day stint in October.