Trump Officials Call Europe "Freeloading, Pathetic" In Leaked Chat

US President Donald Trump accused European nations of "freeloading" Tuesday, agreeing with reported comments by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a leaked chat on Yemen air strikes.

"Yeah I think they've been freeloading," Trump told reporters when asked if he agreed with what The Atlantic magazine quoted Hegseth as saying in a conversation on the Signal app, to which a journalist was accidentally added.

In the chat, a user identified as Vice President JD Vance opposed the strikes saying that "I just hate bailing Europe out again" and a user identified as Hegseth replies: "I fully share your loathing of European freeloading. It's PATHETIC."

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