Hegseth Faces Own Leak Crisis After Sidelining Aides
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s aggressive response to Pentagon leaks took a dramatic turn Tuesday when two of his closest advisers were escorted from the building and placed on administrative leave. The move creates a remarkable situation where the defense secretary is simultaneously investigating leaks within his department while facing scrutiny for his own controversial handling of sensitive information in a Signal group chat that inadvertently included a journalist.
Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Hegseth, and Darin Selnick, the secretary’s deputy chief of staff, were both removed from their positions this week as part of an expanding investigation into unauthorized disclosures of national security information. Their sudden removals have created significant turmoil within the Pentagon’s leadership structure during a time of global security challenges.
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The Investigator Becomes the Investigated
In a striking irony, the leak investigation that has now claimed two of Hegseth’s top aides was launched shortly after the defense secretary himself faced criticism for sharing sensitive operational details in an insecure communications channel. Last month, The Atlantic reported that its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was accidentally added to a Signal group chat where administration officials discussed plans for U.S. military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
According to the Daily Herald, Hegseth “disclosed details about the military operation before it occurred” in that chat. Former defense officials have noted that such operational information “typically is considered so highly classified that it requires code word access and a secure line of communication.”
Despite these concerns, Hegseth has “vehemently denied assertions that what he shared in the group chat contained classified material.” Meanwhile, the Defense Department inspector general’s office has announced that it will scrutinize these disclosures, creating the unusual situation where the secretary is overseeing a leak investigation while simultaneously being subject to one.
National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, who inadvertently added Goldberg to the conversation, has responded aggressively to the story, describing Goldberg as the “bottom scum of journalists,” according to Newsweek.
Aggressive Investigation Methods Authorized
The March 21 memo that launched the current investigation, signed by Hegseth’s chief of staff Joe Kasper, authorized unusually aggressive tactics, including the use of polygraph tests to identify potential leakers. The directive called for a probe into “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications” and stated that information identifying responsible parties would be “referred to the appropriate criminal law enforcement entity for criminal prosecution.”
According to Yahoo News, the investigation extends beyond the Signal chat incident to include leaks regarding “military plans in the Panama canal, a second carrier being deployed to the Red Sea, Elon Musk’s visit to the Pentagon in March, and pausing intelligence aid to Ukraine.”
The authorization of polygraph examinations represents an extraordinary step in internal security investigations, suggesting the seriousness with which the department is treating these disclosures. However, it also raises questions about potential overreach and the impact on staff morale during a time of significant personnel turnover.
Staff with Deep Personal Connections
Both suspended officials have longstanding connections to Hegseth through their previous work at Concerned Veterans for America (CVA), a nonprofit organization that Hegseth led from 2013 to 2016 while serving in the Army National Guard.
“Caldwell, a Marine Corps veteran, previously worked with Hegseth at Concerned Veterans for America,” the Daily Herald reports. “Selnick, an Air Force veteran, worked as a senior adviser at CVA from 2019 to 2024.”
These close personal ties have led some critics to question whether the appointments reflected professional qualifications or personal loyalty. Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, characterized the situation bluntly, stating that “they are not just radical. They are sloppy and incompetent. That puts our national security at risk.”
In the Signal chat that precipitated much of the current controversy, Hegseth specifically identified Caldwell as the Pentagon’s primary contact for coordinating military strikes on Houthis in Yemen. This public identification of Caldwell’s role in sensitive military operations has raised additional security concerns.
Pattern of Institutional Disruption
The suspensions represent the latest in a series of significant personnel changes at the Pentagon since Hegseth took office three months ago. According to the Daily Herald, “Hegseth also has overseen the removal of close to a dozen senior military leaders, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the top admiral in the Navy, both of whom he had criticized for their focus on diversity initiatives.”
Last month, senior Defense Department political appointee John Ullyot was sidelined after clashing with colleagues and moved to a special projects role after serving as press secretary. These numerous changes have contributed to what critics describe as institutional instability at one of the nation’s most critical security organizations.
“The Pentagon’s steady tumult under Hegseth’s leadership has drawn fierce criticism from Democrats and former top Defense Department leaders alarmed by the apparent politicization of a nonpartisan institution,” the Daily Herald reported.
As the investigation continues, one official indicated to the Daily Herald that Caldwell and Selnick might be “the only government officials targeted in the inquiry for now,” but left open the possibility that the “purge could widen.” This ongoing uncertainty has created significant anxiety throughout the Pentagon’s leadership ranks during a time of global security challenges.
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