‘Leaking stuff himself’: Humiliating defeat for Pete Hegseth as Trump puts his ‘shush-shush’ scheme out of its misery

The White House has stepped in to stop Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to use lie detector tests in an effort to find out who is leaking information from inside the Department of Defense.

The decision was made after Patrick Weaver, an advisor to Hegseth who previously held important jobs at the White House’s National Security Council and the Department of Homeland Security, expressed concerns. According to Fox, Weaver told top officials in the administration that he might be required to take a lie detector test. This led to quick action, including a direct call to Hegseth ordering him to stop using the tests.

The investigation into the leaks started in late March after a memo was issued by Joe Kasper, who was Hegseth’s chief of staff at the time. The memo pointed to recent unauthorized releases of national security information, specifically mentioning private communications involving high-ranking officials in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Kasper’s memo stressed the need for a full investigation and noted that lie detector tests would be used in line with existing laws and policies.

No more polygraphs, because they can’t find the leaker

The White House’s move to stop the lie detector tests is the latest in a string of controversies involving the Pentagon. Earlier this year, the department was caught up in the “Signalgate” scandal, which involved leaked discussions from the encrypted Signal app. These discussions included Hegseth and other well-known Trump administration officials talking about possible military actions.

The “Signalgate” incident showed that private conversations about military operations had been exposed, raising major concerns about how secure communications are among top government leaders. The leaked Signal chat included talks between Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and others. The fact that Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, was also in the chat made the situation worse.

After the leak, then-national security advisor Michael Waltz publicly admitted that it was his mistake to include Goldberg in the Signal chat. Waltz said his error allowed the journalist to see sensitive details about planned U.S. military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Despite the “Signalgate” scandal and the criticism that followed, President Donald Trump has continued to support Hegseth, praising him publicly and defending his work as Defense Secretary.

The current dispute over the lie detector tests has made the situation even more complicated. Using lie detectors to find leakers is a controversial idea, with critics arguing that the tests are not always reliable or effective. There have also been past concerns about privacy and possible misuse of the tests.

Patrick Weaver’s opposition to the lie detector tests highlights the disagreements within the Department of Defense and the Trump administration. Given Weaver’s past experience in senior roles at the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, his concerns were taken seriously by administration officials.

The White House’s decision to step in and stop the lie detector tests shows a desire to limit the damage and avoid further embarrassment. Leaks of sensitive information have been an ongoing issue for the Trump administration, and the attempt to use lie detectors to solve the problem seems to have made things worse.