Facing mounting negative headlines and deepening scrutiny, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is battling to stay in Donald Trump’s good graces — and keep his job — according to two U.S. officials who spoke with NBC News.
Sources say Hegseth has ramped up public appearances, particularly on Fox News, in an effort to project loyalty and toughness directly to the former president. His sudden media push follows a recent phone call during which Trump scolded him for texting sensitive information about airstrikes in Yemen to a private Signal group that included his wife, brother, and personal attorney. Trump reportedly called Hegseth’s actions “childish” but ended the conversation by urging him to “keep fighting.”
Behind the scenes, officials describe Hegseth’s behavior as increasingly “erratic” and “insecure,” with senior staff frequently subjected to verbal abuse. Tensions reportedly boiled over last month when Hegseth exploded over leaks concerning a secret military briefing he had arranged for Elon Musk on China. When news of the briefing reached The New York Times, Hegseth allegedly screamed at Adm. Chris Grady, the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, threatening to “f—ing polygraph” him to find the source of the leak. Other top commanders were also threatened with lie detector tests, according to multiple defense officials.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the shocking threats toward Grady.
As the chaos escalated, Hegseth’s inner circle unraveled. Last week, three key officials — Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll — were placed on administrative leave, escorted from the Pentagon, and terminated over their alleged involvement in leaks. In a joint statement, the group condemned their ousting as “unconscionable” and claimed they were defamed by unnamed Pentagon officials, although they notably offered no public support for Hegseth himself. Days later, Selnick and Caldwell were exonerated; Carroll’s status remains unclear.
In another surprise shake-up, Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, also departed his position. A Pentagon spokesperson later confirmed Kasper would continue in a different role, handling “special projects” as a Special Government Employee.
Trying to stabilize the situation, Hegseth quickly installed new advisers, including Justin Fulcher, Patrick Weaver, Ricky Buria, and Sean Parnell, who will now serve as senior advisers. No replacement chief of staff has been announced.
“Regular workforce adjustments are a feature of any highly efficient organization,” Pentagon acting press secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement, vowing that Hegseth remains committed to advancing the Trump administration’s America First agenda.
Meanwhile, fresh revelations continue to surface about Hegseth’s handling of sensitive communications. NBC News confirmed that he had a special unsecured internet line — nicknamed a “dirty line” — installed inside his Pentagon office, allowing him to use the Signal app on a personal computer in direct violation of Defense Department security protocols. The existence of the unauthorized line, which dramatically increases the risk of foreign surveillance, was first reported by the Associated Press.
Hegseth’s office is a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) — meaning it is supposed to have the highest level of protection for classified material. The unsecured line could compromise the entire facility’s security.
As questions swirl about his judgment and leadership, Hegseth remains defiant — but his future at the Pentagon hangs in the balance.