Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at a senior Department of Government Efficiency official who allegedly called the Pentagon police on a subordinate after a confrontation, according to a new report.
The reprimand allegedly took place after a tense one-on-one meeting on April 4 between Yinon Weiss, Elon Musk’s pick to lead DOGE at the Defense Department, and Justin Fulcher, another official at the advisory body, three sources told the Washington Post.
It came at a tumultuous time for the defense secretary, who was dealing with the fallout from Signalgate, where top officials gave The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg a front row seat as they discussed impending strikes on Houthi terrorists in Yemen in March.
After storming out of the meeting, Fulcher allegedly went to Hegseth’s office and complained that he believed Weiss had reported him to the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
Weiss’s alleged actions angered the defense secretary, the sources said. It’s not clear what caused the argument between Weiss and Fulcher.
At times raising his voice, the sources added that an irate Hegseth demanded that Weiss, who departed DOGE last week, explain why he believed he possessed the authority to evict someone from government property.
Weiss attempted to explain to Hegseth that he had not contacted the Pentagon police but another government official, two people familiar with their argument said.
One source claimed that Weiss contacted the Pentagon transition office that assists newly arriving political appointees.
In a text message to The Post, Fulcher said that he believed no police were called, nor did he see any law enforcement officers.
“There was one person who was making claims that he was going to call PFPA (Pentagon Force Protection Agency) – that was clear,” he said.
Despite Fulcher’s admission, Hegseth did not appear to blame the DOGE employee. After his spat with Weiss, he was provided with a Pentagon office space.
After firing several senior Pentagon officials in mid-April, Hegseth named Fulcher a senior adviser.
While Fulcher remains in his position, sources said he has been relocated from outside Hegseth’s main office to a desk down the hall. Fulcher told The Post that the move was temporary, due to maintenance work being conducted.
“Justin Fulcher is a senior advisor to Secretary Hegseth,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to The Independent.
“Our senior advisors at the Department of Defense are unified and working together to carry out President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s agenda.”
Reflecting on his departure from DOGE on Tuesday, Weiss thanked Hegseth for the “unprecedented opportunity” he gave the group.
“@SecDef carefully and fairly weighed in on every recommendation that was presented to him, and he fully embodied the values he promotes for the Department; reviving the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military, and reasserting deterrence,” he tweeted.
The altercation highlights tension between senior Pentagon officials and those assigned to DOGE, whose mission to dismantle federal departments has reportedly clashed with national security priorities.
Despite publicly praising DOGE’s work, behind the scenes, Hegseth expressed frustration about its activity and unreliable communication, especially earlier in the year, according to sources.
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