US Defense Secretary’s Adviser Suspected of Leaking Pentagon Data
Top aide to Defense Secretary Hegseth, Dan Caldwell, has been fired for allegedly leaking Pentagon data, as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on national security disclosures.
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A top adviser to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Dan Caldwell, was fired from the Pentagon on Tuesday after he was identified in an investigation into leaks at the Defense Department, a US official said, Reuters has reported.
Caldwell was placed on administrative leave for “unauthorized disclosure,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The decision had not been previously announced. “The investigation is ongoing,” the official said, without providing details about the nature of the alleged disclosure, including whether it was to a journalist or anyone else.
Hegseth supports crackdown on leaks
The Trump administration has aggressively cracked down on leaks, an effort that Hegseth has enthusiastically supported at the Pentagon. The March 21 memo, signed by Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Casper, called for an investigation into “the latest unauthorized disclosure of national security information involving classified communications.” Casper’s memo left open the possibility of a polygraph, though it was unclear whether Caldwell would submit to one.
While Caldwell is not as well-known as other senior Pentagon officials, he has played a crucial role as an advisor to Hegseth. His importance was underscored in a series of leaked Signal cables published by The Atlantic last month. In them, Hegseth described Caldwell as the best point of contact for the National Security Council as it prepared to strike against the Houthis in Yemen. Caldwell had caught Washington’s attention for his early views, which critics called isolationist but which supporters said sought to properly assess America’s defense priorities.
Caldwell Opposes Ukraine Aid
A Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, Caldwell said before he went to the Pentagon that America would be better off if American troops had simply stayed home. “I think the Iraq war was a terrible crime,” Caldwell told the Financial Times in December 2024. He has also been skeptical of U.S. military aid to Ukraine and has advocated for a U.S. withdrawal from Europe.
The decision to place Caldwell on administrative leave is not part of a wave of layoffs since Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor and combat veteran, took over the Pentagon in January. The senior leadership dismissals included the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior Navy admiral, the head of U.S. Cyber Command and top U.S. military lawyers. Reuters first reported last week that the U.S. military representative to NATO’s Military Committee had been fired.
