White House Halts Hegseth's Polygraph Hunt for Pentagon Leakers

In a surprising turn of events, the White House has put the brakes on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to use polygraph tests to sniff out leakers within the Pentagon. The decision came after Patrick Weaver, a key adviser to Hegseth, raised concerns about being subjected to a lie detector test himself, prompting swift intervention from top administration officials.

The hunt for leakers kicked off in late March with a memo from Joe Kasper, then Hegseth’s chief of staff, citing 'unauthorized disclosures of national security information.' The memo promised a thorough investigation, with polygraphs on the table as a tool to uncover the culprits. But apparently, the idea of strapping advisers to machines didn’t sit well with everyone—especially not with Weaver, who’s no stranger to high-stakes roles, having served on the National Security Council during Trump’s first term.

This isn’t the first storm Hegseth has weathered at the Pentagon. Earlier this year, the so-called 'Signalgate' scandal rocked the department when sensitive discussions about military actions were accidentally leaked via an encrypted app. The blunder saw then-national security advisor Michael Waltz taking full responsibility for including a journalist in a chat with top officials like Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Despite the chaos, President Trump has stood firmly by Hegseth, offering public backing amidst the turbulence.

What’s clear is that trust remains a fragile commodity in the halls of the Pentagon. As leaks continue to plague the department, one wonders if the real issue isn’t just who’s talking, but why the cracks keep appearing in the first place.