Joe Casper, chief of staff to United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegsett, will leave his post in the coming days for a new position at the agency, a senior administration official claims, amid unrest at the Pentagon that has been going on for a week, Politiko reports today.
Senior adviser Dan Caldwell, Hegsett's deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, were placed on leave this week as part of the ongoing investigation. All three were terminated from their jobs on Friday, according to three people familiar with the matter, who, like the others, were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
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The latest incidents add to a broader upheaval at the Pentagon in recent months, including the fallout from Hegseth's release of sensitive information in a Signal conversation with other national security leaders and billionaire Elon Musk's controversial visit to the department.
Caldwell, Carroll, Selnick and Casper declined to comment. Two people said Carroll and Selnick plan to sue for wrongful termination. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.
In March, Kasper called for an investigation into Pentagon leaks, which included military operational plans for the Panama Canal, a second aircraft carrier headed to the Red Sea, Musk's visit and a pause in intelligence gathering for Ukraine.
But some in the Pentagon have also begun to notice a rivalry between Kasper and the fired advisers, according to Politico.
"Joe didn't like those guys," said one defense official. "They all have different styles. They just didn't get along. It was a personality clash."
The changes will leave Hegset without a chief of staff, deputy chief of staff or senior advisor.
"There is a complete breakdown in the building and it really reflects on the minister's leadership," a senior defence official said. "Pete Hegseth has surrounded himself with some people who don't have his best interests at heart."
All of this followed a purge of senior military officers in February, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Quinton Brown and Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti.
"There's probably going to be more chaos," said a third defense official. "It certainly heightens the fear factor, the awareness that no one's job is safe."
Other officials wondered what that would mean for Hegset, a still inexperienced Pentagon leader who had just lost many of his top advisers.
Democrats pointed to the firing as another example of Hegsett's inability to lead the agency.
"Everyone knew that Pete Hegseth did not possess the leadership qualities, background or experience to be secretary of defense," said Chris Meagher, who served as assistant secretary of defense for public affairs during the administration of US President Joseph Biden.
"Everything we've seen since then – the firing of several American heroes for perceived lack of loyalty, the sloppiness of Signalgate, the complete lack of transparency, and now a few political staffers being shown the door – has only confirmed that he doesn't have what it takes to lead," Meeger said.
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