Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s paranoia over leaks has undermined the Pentagon and press freedom. His measures range from the extreme to the petty: restricting reporter access to the Pentagon, firing Stars and Stripes news staff over unfavorable coverage and hiring influencers to fluff his raging but insecure little ego.
However, even the Defense Department’s calisthenics-addled secretary has managed to outdo himself. In his most draconian move yet, the Pentagon polygraphed some 50 high-ranking military officers and civilian officials on the Joint Staff, which coordinates operations, policy and war plans with combatant commanders worldwide. Hegseth made the top brass sit for polygraphs over news reports about the war with Iran; specifically, how it has depleted crucial supplies of sophisticated munitions, including Patriot interceptors and long-range missiles. He still doesn’t understand that his polygraph flex makes him more twerp than Top Gun among those he is supposed to be leading.
