The White House on Tuesday forcefully denied a report claiming that President Donald Trump is considering removing senior administration officials who opposed a potential agreement with Iran.
Anna Kelly, Special Assistant to the President and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary, dismissed the report in a sharply worded statement posted on X, responding to claims made by journalist Danny Zaken.
Zaken had reported, citing unnamed US sources, that senior officials who opposed a possible understanding with Iran could face consequences, including the potential loss of their positions. According to the report, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were among the officials allegedly under consideration, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio was said to be unlikely to face any repercussions.
Kelly categorically rejected the allegations and questioned the credibility of the report and its sources.
“I have never heard of this ‘reporter’ until he started consistently pushing fake news without reaching out to the White House for comment," Kelly wrote. “To be clear, this clown has no idea what he is talking about and his ‘sources’ are probably the voices in his head."
The White House has not announced any personnel changes involving Hegseth, Ratcliffe, Rubio, or other senior national security officials. Publicly available White House releases and statements continue to list senior administration officials in their current roles, with no indication of an impending shake-up.
The report comes amid ongoing speculation surrounding US policy toward Iran and efforts to explore diplomatic arrangements aimed at reducing tensions. However, administration officials have publicly emphasized unity within the President’s national security team while dismissing reports suggesting internal turmoil.