Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing criticism after reports emerged about his use of polygraph tests at the Pentagon to find potential information leakers. The Washington Post revealed that Hegseth had been conducting these tests on staff members working close to him, starting in April of this year.
The situation has drawn attention from both media outlets and government officials, with MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace, a former White House communications director, particularly vocal about the controversy. Wallace criticized Hegseth’s actions on her show “Deadline: White House,” pointing out that such measures were typically reserved for serious national security matters.
The scandal has escalated to such a concerning level that the White House had to intervene. According to sources familiar with the situation, a senior adviser raised concerns directly with the White House, resulting in an order for Hegseth to stop the polygraph testing program.
White House steps in to halt controversial Pentagon polygraph program
The Pentagon has declined to comment directly on the Washington Post’s reporting about the polygraph tests. However, multiple sources confirmed that the intervention came through a phone call from someone close to the administration after Hegseth’s team had already begun administering the tests.
So Pete Hegseth his paranoia is getting so bad he's demanding polygraph tests for the pentagon staff because he's so concerned about people leaking his information out there what the hell is going on in this fucking country
— trish vickers (@TrishV57685) July 29, 2025
Wallace, drawing from her experience in the George W. Bush administration, explained that while polygraph tests were sometimes used in government, they were considered a “last resort” and were only implemented in specific and narrow national security situations. She emphasized that these tests were not meant to be used for preventing leaks about internal matters.
The former White House communications director expressed concern that this incident might only be the “tip of the iceberg” regarding the treatment of career officials at the Defense Department under Hegseth’s leadership. She suggested that the working conditions for career officials might be worse than what has been reported, as evidenced by Hegseth’s inability to properly staff his own office.
This controversy marks a significant moment in Hegseth’s tenure as Defense Secretary, amid ongoing questions about whether Hegseth has an alcohol problem that could affect his judgment, as it represents what Wallace called a “rare rebuke” from the White House. The incident has raised questions about leadership practices at the Pentagon and the appropriate use of security measures within government agencies.
