The times they are a-changin’ at the Pentagon. Adding insult to an already injured week in which three top aides at the Pentagon were placed on leave is the news that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s own chief of staff, Joe Kasper, will be leaving his role for a new position in the department.
Earlier this week, three Pentagon officials—deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, senior adviser Dan Caldwell, and the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, Colin Carroll—were placed on leave as part of an ongoing probe into agency leaks before being terminated on Friday. Carroll and Selnick reportedly intend to sue for wrongful termination.
Now Kasper, who had requested an investigation into the leaks last month, is leaving his post as Hegseth’s chief of staff. He will remain at the Pentagon, albeit in a different capacity.
According to insiders who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Kasper “didn’t like” the aides who have since been fired, telling POLITICO, “They all have different styles. They just didn’t get along. It was a personality clash.”
The personnel changes are causing chaos at the Pentagon, with one senior defense official telling POLITICO, “There is a complete meltdown in the building, and this is really reflecting on the secretary’s leadership,” adding that Hegseth ”has surrounded himself with some people who don’t have his interests at heart.”
Another official predicted that “There probably will be more chaos,” while one former Trump administration official said that while the department “has some really first-rate uniformed military staff… there’s only so much they can pick up in an organization that big.” They added, “That kind of dysfunction compounds.”
Recent leaks from the Pentagon include the disclosure of military plans for the Panama Canal, the movement of a U.S. carrier in the Red Sea, the decision to pause intelligence gathering regarding Ukraine, and information regarding Elon Musk’s visit to discuss China.
Hegseth himself was at the center of a leak scandal last month after sharing plans for air strikes on Houthis in Yemen with an insecure Signal chat that included top Trump officials and The Atlantic editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg.
Democrats have been quick to jump on this chaos as proof that Hegseth isn’t fit to lead the agency, with former assistant defense secretary for public affairs under Biden, Chris Meagher, telling POLITICO, “Everyone knew that Pete Hegseth did not possess the leadership qualities, background, or experience to be secretary of defense.”
He continued, “Everything we’ve seen since then—the firing of several American heroes because of perceived lack of loyalty, the sloppiness of Signalgate, the complete lack of transparency, and now several political staff being shown the door—has only confirmed he doesn’t have what it takes to lead.”
Hegseth, for his part, is attempting to project an air of nonchalance, taking to social media late Friday night to light fake candles in honor of Paul Revere’s bravery during his midnight ride 250 years ago.
