Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assumed his post at the Pentagon in January with little government background but grand plans to overhaul military operations. In just three months, however, Hegseth — a former Fox News personality — has presided over a period of turmoil unlike anything seen in recent Pentagon history.
His tight-knit circle of advisers, largely composed of military veterans who also lack experience managing sprawling institutions, has unraveled. Three members of his initial team were escorted out last week amid accusations of leaking sensitive information.
A fourth aide, John Ullyot, who recently departed and served as Hegseth’s top spokesperson, criticized his leadership in a Politico op-ed on Sunday, accusing him of incompetence and betrayal. “The building is in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership,” Ullyot wrote.
Current and former defense officials describe internal chaos: shouting matches among staff, growing suspicion toward the Pentagon’s workforce, and bureaucratic delays stalling priorities like a national missile-defense system. These officials spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the issues.
Further complicating matters, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has proposed cutting up to 200,000 positions from the Pentagon’s 750,000-strong civilian workforce — cuts Hegseth himself has warned could undermine critical departmental operations, according to three officials.
Meanwhile, reports that Hegseth disclosed details of forthcoming Yemen strikes in private Signal chats have triggered calls from lawmakers for his resignation. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell attributed reports of disarray to “disgruntled former DoD employees with an axe to grind.”
Despite the growing controversies, President Trump has continued to support Hegseth, whom the Senate confirmed narrowly amid concerns about his qualifications and behavior.
“This is what happens when the entire Pentagon resists the sweeping reforms you’re trying to implement,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Fox News.
Trump himself praised Hegseth on Monday. “He’s doing a great job — ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” he quipped, referencing the Yemeni rebel faction targeted in U.S. strikes.
Hegseth, appearing at the White House Easter Egg Roll, defended his record, blaming the media for amplifying complaints from former staffers and vowing to return control of the Pentagon to "war fighters."
Hegseth has poured energy into reviving what he calls a “warrior ethos,” claiming the department has become overly focused on diversity and social agendas. He’s deployed thousands of troops to the southern border and committed to countering China’s growing military threat.
However, many internal clashes have centered more on minor bureaucratic squabbles than strategic direction, according to officials. Meetings run by his chief of staff, Joe Kasper, are reportedly disorganized and at times inappropriately off-topic.
One such meeting this month, involving a veterans group, devolved into a story about Kasper’s night at a Washington strip club, recounted by someone present at the session.
Officials also say that Hegseth’s team lacks a basic workflow to push important directives forward. In January, after Trump ordered development of a national missile shield, Pentagon staff scrambled to prepare a directive — which then sat unsigned on Hegseth’s desk for nearly three weeks.
According to senior defense officials, Hegseth is weighing whether to replace Kasper with Marine Corps Col. Ricky Buria, who recently filed for retirement and may step into a civilian leadership role. Distrust within Hegseth’s office has been exacerbated by a lack of faith in long-serving civil servants and military leaders who represent institutional knowledge.
Some civilian staff say they’ve been asked to submit résumés to prove their patriotism. All three employees had combat experience; two were wounded in Afghanistan. Even high-ranking military officers with bipartisan credentials have not been spared scrutiny.
Trump dismissed Gen. Charles Brown, the previous Joint Chiefs chairman, and Hegseth has reportedly sidelined other top generals from critical briefings, prompting concerns over coordination. One Joint Staff official said Hegseth has even threatened polygraphs to root out leakers.
Adm. Christopher Grady, acting Joint Chiefs chairman, was excluded from key White House meetings ahead of the Yemen strikes on March 15, four military officials said. Gen. Dan Caine, a retired fighter pilot recently recalled to service, now assumes the chairmanship, tasked in part with earning Hegseth’s trust.
Another major hurdle for Hegseth is managing the Pentagon’s vast bureaucracy while attempting to shield its civilian workforce from Musk-driven cuts. Trump has pledged to boost military spending to $1 trillion, up from the current $850 billion. Yet Musk remains focused on extracting billions in savings, creating internal friction.
Although Hegseth has publicly embraced Musk’s reform push, behind closed doors they’ve sparred over layoffs in areas like military healthcare and logistics. One Musk-appointed official was removed for not pushing hard enough on cuts. This month, Musk and Hegseth met at the White House to try to reconcile their differences, but it remains unclear whether they found common ground.
Signs of waning GOP support for Hegseth are beginning to emerge in Congress. The Pentagon’s inspector general is reviewing Hegseth’s alleged leak of Yemen strike details via Signal, following a request from Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker and ranking Democrat Jack Reed.
Another Signal chat, in which Hegseth reportedly shared similar information with his wife and staff, has prompted Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska to call for his removal. In an interview with Politico, Bacon — a retired Air Force general — said, “I find it unacceptable, and I wouldn’t tolerate it if I was in charge.”
Hegseth was confirmed by a single vote in the Senate, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. Despite mounting criticism, Hegseth continues promoting the “warrior ethos” he champions.
In the past month, he has shared 16 photos and videos on X, showing himself exercising with troops across the globe. “Every rep, every drop of sweat, reminds us of the toughness and tenacity that defend our nation,” he posted last week.
