Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly lashed out at Navy Admiral Christopher Grady, the then-acting chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over a suspected leak. Hegseth threatened Grady with a lie detector test, using profane language. The leak concerned a classified briefing Hegseth arranged between Elon Musk and the Pentagon. President Trump reportedly became angry about the briefing.
Hegseth’s actions have drawn significant criticism. He is also under scrutiny for sharing imminent attack plans via Signal with a reporter, his wife, brother, and lawyer. He has fired aides, claiming they planted the Signal story and a report about a makeup studio installed in the Pentagon for his TV appearances further damaged his reputation. At least one Republican House member has called for his dismissal, and the White House was reportedly seeking a replacement.