As Pete Hegseth flails, there are apparently Pentagon insiders eager to talk about the defense secretary's struggles [View all]

As allegations against Hegseth mount, the Pentagon chief faces a new kind of problem
As Pete Hegseth flails, there are apparently Pentagon insiders eager to talk about the defense secretary’s struggles.


As last week neared its end, however, things managed to go from bad to worse for the scandal-plagued former Fox News personality.

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The reporting from the AP and the Journal dovetailed with a Politico report that said while Donald Trump has expressed public support for Hegseth, “behind the scenes, administration insiders are starting to express doubts about the Pentagon chief’s judgment.” CNN had a related piece that said, “Interviews with multiple current and former national security officials this week, including career military and civilian officials, reflect growing concerns about Hegseth’s leadership at the Pentagon.”

Taken individually, the revelations about his brother’s job and his wife’s access are certainly important in their own right. But let’s not overlook the story behind the stories: It appears increasingly obvious that there are some people at the Pentagon who’ve learned some unfortunate things about Hegseth, and they’re suddenly eager to share that information with journalists.

Or put another way, two months into Hegseth’s tenure, he’s generating the kind of chatter that his respected and qualified predecessor didn’t have to worry about at the department he ostensibly leads.