Paranoia is so strong inside Pete Hegseth's Pentagon that it's crippling decision making and preparedness: report

Source: The Independent

Tuesday 09 June 2026 16:03 EDT


Secrecy, paranoia and distrust are running rampant inside Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon, crippling decision-making and preparedness, according to a report.

The former Fox News host has fired more than two dozen senior officers, pushed out a Navy secretary and personally intervened in promotions across all four military branches, according to CNN.

Fifteen current and former Pentagon officials have revealed the current culture of distrust and paranoia that has plagued the Department of Defense ever since Hegseth took over, telling CNN that troops have to sign nondisclosure agreements and submit to polygraph tests to learn about operations.

A senior Pentagon official told CNN that every move staffers made was calculated. “Everything we did on a daily basis, we were calculating, ‘Is this going to keep the boss employed, or is this going to get him fired?’”. “Every single day, every decision that we made, that was a planning factor…It’s very unusual for that to be considered so heavily,” the official added.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/pete-hegseth-pentagon-paranoia-decision-making-b2992722.html