• Trump dismisses a crucial question about Defense Secretary Hegseth's confidence as "stupid."
• The President emphasizes he doesn't have complete confidence in anything, including the interview itself.
• Despite his comments, Trump praises Hegseth as a talented and educated leader.

In a recent ABC News interview marking his 100th day in office, President Donald Trump addressed questions surrounding his confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom he referred to as a "talented guy." Trump, when questioned if he had "100 percent confidence" in Hegseth's capabilities, responded, "I don’t have 100 percent confidence in anything, okay? Anything," labeling the question as "stupid." This exchange took place amid scrutiny of Hegseth's leadership and controversies surrounding his use of the Signal messaging app to share sensitive military information, according to Indiatimes and HuffPost.

Trump's remarks came after ABC’s Terry Moran noted the significance of Hegseth’s position, to which Trump firmly countered, "Only a liar would say, 'I have 100 percent confidence,'" reinforcing his dismissive stance towards absolute assurances in leadership roles. He also mentioned, "I had a talk with him," regarding his discussions with Hegseth, while maintaining that he was not inclined to disclose details of their conversation, according to The Hill and HuffPost.

While Trump did not express full confidence in Hegseth, he did offer praise, stating, "He’s young, he’s smart, highly educated," and aspired for him to be "a very good defense secretary." Hegseth has faced notable controversies, including claims he shared sensitive information through unsecured communications, which he has defended as "unclassified," according to The Hill and Indiatimes.