An Easter Bunny, Colorful Eggs and a Second Signal Group Chat

An Easter Bunny, Colorful Eggs and a Second Signal Group Chat

At the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could not avoid the news about another chat that involved sensitive details about forthcoming military strikes.

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By Aishvarya Kavi

Reporting from Washington

The South Lawn of the White House was a hubbub of activity on Monday morning as a crowd of revelers dressed in spring colors gathered for the annual Easter egg roll. A brown-eared Easter Bunny greeted the crowd, the first lady read a children’s story — and the president and his defense secretary lashed out at the media.

The Times reported on Sunday that Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon chief, had shared sensitive details about forthcoming military strikes in a second group chat in the Signal app, one that included members of his family and his personal lawyer.

President Trump and Mr. Hegseth had not responded to the report ahead of the festivities at the White House on Monday morning. So when journalists who had assembled to cover the event tracked down the two to ask about the situation, their responses were a departure from the Easter cheer.

Mr. Hegseth, wearing an American flag pocket square, appeared furious as he railed at reporters. His children shuffled their feet behind him.

“These kids right here,” Mr. Hegseth said, gesturing to them as he looked directly into the lens of a television camera, “this is why we’re fighting the fake news media.”

He pointed an accusatory finger at the gathered group of journalists: “This group right here — full of hoaxters. You peddle anonymous sources from leakers with axes to grind and then you put it all together as if it’s some news story.”

He placed an arm around his wife — who was included in the Signal chat in question — and ushered the family away.

Elsewhere on the lawn, the president could not avoid questions.

Flanked by the first lady, Melania Trump, and an Easter Bunny in a pale green jacket, Mr. Trump addressed the crowd from a balcony and spoke about Pope Francis, whose death was announced by the Vatican overnight.

Serenaded by live music from a Marine Corps band, the Trumps descended into the crowd, which included reporters. There, the questions about the Signal chat began.

“Why would you even ask a question like that?” Mr. Trump said to one reporter who asked whether he still had confidence in Mr. Hegseth.

He rejoined his family, including his eldest son and several grandchildren, and the first couple presided over an egg roll.

“Are you ready?” Mr. Trump asked the gathered children before counting to three and blowing on a gold whistle. But he was quickly distracted again by the journalists assembled behind them.

“Look at that, look behind you,” he told Mrs. Trump. One young grandson standing next to them also squinted curiously at the reporters. “The best people. They have good days and they have bad days — but we all do, right?”

Before he turned back to the festivities, he considered making an offering to the journalists.

“Do you want an egg?” he asked. “We’ll give you a couple of eggs.”

More on the Signal Leak

• What the Leak Revealed: Our reporters discuss what the Signal chat leak revealed about the Trump administration and the state of politics in Washington.
• Angering U.S. Military Pilots: Men and women who have taken to the air on behalf of the United States expressed bewilderment after the leak of attack plans.
• Voters Weigh In: The New York Times asked five voters what they thought of the administration’s response to the revelation that top national security officials discussed plans for U.S. strikes in Yemen on Houthi militants over Signal, a commercial messaging app.
• Intelligence Officials Face Questions: Members of President Trump’s cabinet insisted at a House committee hearing that there was nothing wrong with using a consumer messaging app to discuss U.S. military plans. Democrats appeared in lock step as they confronted one of the most notable blunders of the Trump administration.
• Deflecting Blame: Trump and other officials have given varied, implausible and sometimes conflicting explanations for how highly sensitive military information was shared in a group chat.
• Classified Information: The often bureaucratic nature of classified information is complicated, with different levels of secrecy and different potential punishments for its disclosure. Here is what to know about how classification of information works.