Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Threatens Pentagon Employee With 'Polygraph Test' Amid Latest Leaking Scandal

Donald Trump's Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has allegedly begun to threaten employees at the Pentagon with polygraph tests to figure out how information has continued to leak from his department.

Hegseth suspected Navy Admiral Christopher Grady, then-acting chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, of telling outlets of a March 21 briefing about DOGE head Elon Musk.

In a meeting with Grady, Hegseth reportedly yelled, "I’ll hook you up to a f------ polygraph!"

Word had leaked that the Trump admin was planning a classified briefing for the Tesla billionaire on China, a revelation that infuriated President Trump and raised alarms inside the Pentagon, given Musk’s business ties to Beijing.

According to officials who have worked at the department, the infighting at the Pentagon has potential national security implications.

"I didn’t believe he had the requisite experience and skills to handle the toughest job in the cabinet before he was confirmed and I have seen nothing in his performance so far that would disconfirm that judgment," said Eric Edelman, a Republican who served as a top Pentagon official in former President George W. Bush’s administration and ambassador to multiple countries.

As OK! previously reported, Hegseth was caught in the middle of a second secret group chat, which leaked to the press and shared details about a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on a chat including his wife, lawyer and brother.

While three people confirmed the news to CNN, they noted some of his closest advisors have become concerned with his judgment, including Hegseth’s former press secretary, John Ullyot.

Hegseth also fired three senior officials, who reportedly were also concerned, including his top adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense, Colin Carroll, in mid-April.