Top Hegseth Aide Escorted Out of Pentagon in Leak Probe
In a dramatic escalation of President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to clamp down on internal sabotage within the national security bureaucracy, Dan Caldwell, a senior advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted out of the Pentagon this week and placed on administrative leave amid an aggressive investigation into leaks plaguing the Department of Defense.
According to a DoD official, Caldwell was suspended over what has been described as an “unauthorized disclosure” of information, though the nature of the alleged leak remains classified.
Caldwell, a foreign policy realist and longtime national security reform advocate, previously worked with the restraint-oriented think tank Defense Priorities and the Concerned Veterans for America—an organization formerly led by Secretary Hegseth himself. He has consistently argued for reduced U.S. military entanglements abroad, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, making him a thorn in the side of the military-industrial complex and D.C.’s permanent war lobby.
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View PlansThe Pentagon recently announced an internal crackdown to identify those responsible for a series of leaks related to national security operations. In a memo from Chief of Staff Joe Kasper, the Department of Defense confirmed it would begin using polygraph exams to track down the sources of internal leaks.
“The use of polygraphs in the execution of this investigation will be in accordance with applicable law and policy,” Kasper wrote, adding that the probe would produce “a complete record of unauthorized disclosures” and issue recommendations to prevent further breaches.
The memo also warned that criminal referrals could follow if individuals are identified as responsible for leaking protected or classified information.
Caldwell’s name came up in connection to a leaked Signal group chat regarding U.S. airstrikes on Houthi militants, where National Security Advisor Mike Waltz mistakenly added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to the conversation. In that exchange, Defense Secretary Hegseth identified Caldwell as the Pentagon’s point man for the operation.
The exposure of that chat is separate from another recent leak involving highly sensitive U.S. intelligence tied to the bombing campaign on Iran’s nuclear facilities — a leak that has reportedly enraged President Trump and triggered an overhaul of how Congress and even top-level officials are briefed on active military operations.
According to sources close to the matter, Trump has demanded fewer briefings for lawmakers and tighter information control, warning that hostile bureaucrats and foreign intelligence services are exploiting American transparency to undermine national security.
At a tense press conference at the Pentagon, Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine dismissed a widely cited preliminary report from the Defense Intelligence Agency, leaked to the press, which claimed the U.S. bunker-buster bombing campaign on Iran had little effect.
“Every outlet reported on the preliminary assessment from DIA. I’m looking at it right now,” Hegseth said. “It admits it requires 82 weeks to accumulate necessary data. It is preliminary, not coordinated with the intelligence community, has low-confidence, and depends on linchpin assumptions. If those are wrong, everything else is wrong.”
Hegseth didn’t mince words, suggesting the report was intentionally leaked to damage the credibility of the mission.
“This report acknowledges likely severe damage. It was leaked because someone had an agenda to muddy the waters and make it look like this historic strike wasn’t successful,” he said.
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View PlansGeneral Caine added that U.S. forces had advance warning of an Iranian counterstrike, allowing American personnel to evacuate the area before missiles were launched.
The White House has remained firm, signaling that prosecutions and purges are on the table for those attempting to derail the administration’s defense posture through internal leaks. With President Trump preparing further retaliatory actions against Iran, the stakes are only growing — and discipline within the Pentagon is now being enforced with the seriousness it demands.