Pentagon Launches Probe into National Security Leaks, Polygraph Tests on the Table

The Pentagon is turning up the heat with an investigation into what it describes as leaks of national security information. And yes, this could mean polygraph tests for Defense Department employees. Talk about a high-stakes Q&A session.

Joe Kasper, chief of staff for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, issued a memo on Friday stating that intelligence and law enforcement teams are digging into "recent unauthorized disclosures" of sensitive information. Kasper didn't hold back, calling the leaks a matter demanding "immediate and thorough investigation." No details were shared about what exactly leaked, but the tone of the memo leaves little doubt about the seriousness of the situation.

While Kasper’s memo didn’t mince words, it did include a clear warning: if they identify any culprits, the case will be handed over to criminal authorities for prosecution. Polygraph tests, often a controversial tool, are on the table for this investigation, though Kasper assured they’d be used "in accordance with applicable law and policy." The message? If you’ve got a guilty conscience, now’s the time to sweat.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump took a swipe at The New York Times for reporting that his senior adviser, Elon Musk, would be briefed on potential U.S. strategies for a conflict with China. Trump dismissed the report, while Musk fired back on social media, calling the Times "pure propaganda" and vowing that Pentagon leakers will face justice. "They will be found," Musk declared on X.

This Pentagon investigation isn’t happening in a vacuum. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently pushed for increased use of lie-detector tests on her employees to root out leaks about immigration enforcement operations. And on Friday, the Justice Department announced its own probe into what it called "selective leaks" of classified information related to a Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. The gang is reportedly being targeted by the Trump administration for deportation.

Leaks are nothing new in Washington. Every administration deals with them, and federal agencies have long relied on polygraphs for national security clearances. Granted, polygraph tests are controversial—unreliable enough to be ruled inadmissible in military justice proceedings by the Supreme Court in 1998—but that hasn’t stopped their use in investigations like this.

For now, all eyes are on the Pentagon as it ramps up efforts to plug the leaks. Whether polygraphs will actually solve the problem remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear: the hunt for leakers is on.