Top Advisor to Hegseth Removed from Pentagon Amid Leak Probe: Report

A senior aide to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was reportedly removed from the Pentagon on Tuesday after being implicated in an ongoing investigation into leaks within the Department of Defense.

According to Reuters, Dan Caldwell has been placed on administrative leave due to what a U.S. official described as “an unauthorized disclosure.” The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not specify whether the disclosure was made to a member of the press or another party. “The investigation remains ongoing,” they stated.

As highlighted by the New York Post, “Caldwell’s removal comes less than a month after Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, ordered the director for defense intelligence (counterintelligence, law enforcement, and security) to assist in a probe into ‘unauthorized disclosures of sensitive and classified information across the Department of Defense.’”

In a memo dated March 21, Kasper warned that “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications with principals within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) demand immediate and thorough investigation.” He further noted, “This investigation will commence immediately and culminate in a report to the Secretary of Defense.”

Caldwell, a veteran of the Marine Corps who served in Iraq, has been a vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy in the region. In a December 2024 interview with the Financial Times, he stated, “I think the Iraq war was a monstrous crime.” This view aligns with former President Donald Trump’s stance on the conflict, which helped draw Caldwell to Trump's 2016 campaign.

In a November 2024 article for Foreign Affairs, which Caldwell co-authored, he called for a major strategic shift, advocating that the United States should reduce its presence in the Middle East, arguing “American interests are less pronounced” there. He also emphasized that, “In the aftermath of the United States’ post-9/11 foreign policy disasters, an increasing number of Americans oppose their country’s heavy reliance on the use of military force to achieve its foreign policy objectives,” and that there is growing demand for a focus on domestic issues.

Despite the controversy surrounding Caldwell, President Trump publicly praised Secretary Hegseth during a White House ceremony on Tuesday, where the Navy football team was honored for winning the Commander in Chief’s Trophy.

“We’re going to work together. We’re going to do something great, Pete,” Trump said, expressing confidence in Hegseth’s leadership to rebuild national defense capabilities. He added, “You’ve made a big impact,” signaling continued support for his Secretary of Defense.