The US Department of Defense officials fear they will be forced to take polygraph tests to prove they are not sharing sensitive information with the media.
This is reported by The Times.
The letter warning about the possible use of this equipment created an "atmosphere of intimidation" within the agency, a US defense source says.
The uncertainty at the Pentagon stems from the firing of a number of senior officials last week, leaving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth without key advisers.
"Itʼs strange that theyʼre threatening a polygraph not to expose officials who may be against Trump, but to catch people appointed by the government who are suspected of leaking secret or sensitive information," the media source said.
Some suggest that the US Department of Defense could follow the example of the Department of Homeland Security, which ordered some employees to turn in their phones to check their social media activity and “political loyalty”.
"Pentagon officials are afraid of being fired every day. Itʼs all a serious distraction, and I would be surprised if Hegseth remains Secretary of Defense for much longer," the source added.
- The NYT previously reported that Hegseth created a Defense | Team Huddle chat room, in which he shared, among other things, the flight schedule of F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen. The chat room allegedly included Hegsethʼs wife, his brother Phil, his personal lawyer, and dozens of others from the secretaryʼs personal and professional circle.
- The Pentagon later denied the report, with Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell accusing the recently fired Defense Department officials of wanting to “damage the Secretary of Defense and the President’s agenda”.
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