In a surprising move that reflects internal discord at the highest levels of U.S. national security, the White House has instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to discontinue the use of polygraph tests on Pentagon staff. The directive emerged as part of an aggressive internal investigation aimed at rooting out individuals responsible for the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.
The controversy began to unfold in March after sensitive military communications regarding U.S. operations in Yemen leaked from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The encrypted Signal app conversations, involving key figures such as Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were erroneously shared with Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, leading to a scandal quickly coined as "Signalgate."
In response to the leaks, Hegseth's then-chief of staff, Joe Kasper, issued a directive on March 21, authorizing the use of polygraphs to ferret out the sources of the leaks. This decision was not without precedent, as the Department of Defense policies permit the use of lie detectors for security investigations. However, the political ramifications of such measures were evidently underestimated.
Patrick Weaver, a top adviser to Hegseth with past service under the Trump administration, expressed his dissent over the polygraph approach. His resistance seemingly triggered the West Wing's intervention, with a direct order to halt the polygraph program. This rare public intervention highlights the tension between the Pentagon and the President's aides, with Weaver reportedly taking issue with the prospect of undergoing the same scrutiny as junior-level staff.
Despite the halt on polygraph tests, Hegseth appears undeterred in pursuing the leak investigation through alternative methods. The situation sheds light on the broader theme of internal loyalty underscored by President Trump during his second term, as he continues to spotlight leakers as a national security threat. In March, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed the president's support for Secretary Hegseth and declared the Signal chat case closed.
The political cost of the polygraph tests, as well as the internal strife they caused, appears to have driven the decision to cease their use. The White House and Pentagon have refrained from further comments on the decision, but it is clear that the issue has exposed vulnerabilities and discord within the administration.
As the probe forges ahead, the Defense Department faces the dual challenge of maintaining security and managing the political optics of its investigative practices. The White House's intervention may have quelled one controversy, but the ongoing investigation and its implications for the administration's cohesion and public image remain to be seen.
