The Pentagon wants officials in the building to undergo “random polygraph tests” to curb a slew of leaks that have embarrassed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, sources tell The Washington Post.
Even “top officials” would reportedly be required to undergo the lie-detector tests, which are notoriously unreliable and not admissible in U.S. courts.
A pair of draft memos viewed by the Post were written by Hegseth’s deputy, Steve Feinberg, suggesting that the potential policy originated from the top of military leadership.
Another proposed policy would require anyone working in Hegseth’s office and that of the Joint Staff to sign non-disclosure agreements that prohibit the “release of non-public information without approval or through a defined process.”
The drastic step to crack down on leaks has led some critics to refer to Hegseth, a 45-year-old former Fox News host, as “Paranoid Pete.”
There have been public allegations that the leader of the Pentagon, who fired three of his aides in April for being suspected of leaking to the press, is on edge.
The defense secretary, who is begging people to refer to him as the “Secretary of War,” has been described by staffers as “manic” over the way he allegedly erupts into fits of rage inside the Pentagon, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.
Hegseth’s episodes allegedly grew worse after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the tabloid reported. Its sources added that Hegseth has become “obsessed” with his own security detail and exhibits frantic behavior, such as fidgeting and pacing during meetings.
“Dude is crawling out of his skin,” a source told the Mail.
Hegseth’s worries are reportedly straining the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, which the Mail reports had to pull agents away from criminal probes to safeguard the secretary’s residences in Minnesota, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.
The Pentagon referred the Daily Beast to a statement it sent to the Mail, which called its reporting “completely false.” The Pentagon did not respond to an email from the Beast on Wednesday seeking information about polygraph tests.
The plan to implement lie detector tests at the Pentagon is not Hegseth’s first attempt to stave off leaks. He has also threatened punishment for the other side of every leaked story—the press.
Reporters at the Pentagon will soon be required to obtain express approval from the department before publishing any information gathered there to retain their press credentials. Journalists will also be forbidden from accessing most of the military’s headquarters without an escort.
Among the Pentagon leaks under Hegseth’s leadership include details of military plans for the Panama Canal, the movement of a U.S. carrier in the Red Sea, the decision to pause intelligence gathering related to Ukraine, and a visit by Elon Musk.
Hegseth was also a major player in the Trump administration’s Signalgate gaffe in March, but that was largely chalked up to the carelessness of then-National Security Adviser Michael Waltz.
Hegseth has been among the most visible members of the Trump administration. He was criticized by both current and former military officials this week for ordering top U.S. generals, who are stationed around the world, to attend a 90-minute spectacle in Quantico, Virginia, which included speeches from him and the president.
Critics said Hegseth’s speech, which included him raging against soldiers with beards, “fat” generals, and “dudes in dresses,” could have been an email.
“It‘s a waste of time for a lot of people who emphatically had better things they could and should be doing,” a former senior defense official told Politico. “It’s also an inexcusable strategic risk to concentrate so many leaders in the operational chain of command in the same publicly known time and place, to convey an inane message of little merit.”
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