Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s time at the helm of the largest executive department has been anything but smooth sailing. Plagued with leaks and buffeted by scandals, this “infidel” Ahab has become anxious, ornery and isolated as President Donald Trump’s second term enters its third month.
A new report from the Wall Street Journal shows that Hegseth is starting to see elusive leakers in his nightmares. According to the outlet, Hegseth threatened top officials with lie-detector tests to root out media sources on recent embarrassing stories.
Shortly after word broke last month that the Pentagon might brief Elon Musk on secret war plans in China, Hegseth exploded at the then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Christopher Grady.
“I’ll hook you up to a f**king polygraph!” Hegseth reportedly yelled at Grady, per two unnamed sources who spoke with the outlet.
The Times of London reported that Hegseth has created “an atmosphere of intidimidation” via threats of lie-detector sessions.
“The extraordinary thing is that lie detector tests are being threatened not to uncover potential anti-President Trump civil servants but to catch political appointees suspected of leaking classified or sensitive information,” a source in defense told the paper.
Hegseth’s Defense Department has been a reliable source for palace intrigue stories, as dangerously sloppy information security around military strikes in Yemen has led to a chaotic wave of firings. A source who spoke to Politico characterized the situation in Hegseth’s inner circle as a “knife fight.” Many senior advisers were shown the door by Joe Kasper, Hegseth’s chief of staff, who is reportedly leaving his role.
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