Hegseth Plans Widespread Random Polygraphs, NDAs Amid Leak Fears

First there was a short-notice all generals and admirals meeting at Quantico Tuesday, following a summer of some top command firings and reshufflings, and on Wednesday The Washington Post is reporting that polygraph testing will commence for some high-placed Pentagon commanders.

This is reportedly to prevent leaks to the press, amid a climate of perceived 'disloyalty’ and dissent against Defense Secretary (or War Secretary) Pete Hegseth. Polygraphs are typically used in the military or intelligence community in cases of suspected foreign espionage or instances of suspicion of handing off classified information. Hegseth has already greatly narrowed his trusted inner-circle.

„All military service members, civilian employees and contract workers within the office of the defense secretary and the Joint Staff, estimated to be more than 5,000 personnel, would be required to sign a nondisclosure agreement,” WaPo says.

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The agreement „prohibits the release of non-public information without approval or through a defined process” – which is spelled out in a draft memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg.

There is an additional directive from Feinberg which establishes a random polygraph program for said officials, but it’s unclear if there’s any limit to the scope – suggesting that even four-star generals and admirals could be subject.

While there already exist laws and policies covering unauthorized disclosure of classified, restricted, or sensitive information, this is clearly part of a broader push to tighten up leaks.

One legal critic cited by the Post dubs this an „overboard NDA” which will be used to intimidate:

“This seems to be far more directed at ensuring loyalty to DOD [the Department of Defense] and the Trump administration leadership rather than countering any foreign espionage,” said Mark Zaid, a lawyer who has represented multiple whistleblowers and government officials targeted by the Trump administration.

“There are reasons why individuals were not required to take polygraphs before. And I would question why now the polygraph, and an overbroad NDA is being required other than to intimidate the workforce and ensure tighter control.”

Apparently Pentagon leadership under the Trump administration has in the recent past already conducted such random polygraph tests in some limited cases, in prior leaks to the news media.

This certainly isn’t the first major controversy to emerge under Hegseth regarding distrust, disunity, and threats of hunting down internal leakers. The Wall Street Journal wrote back in April:

Word had leaked that he was planning a classified briefing for Elon Musk on China, a revelation that infuriated President Trump and raised alarms inside the Pentagon given Musk’s business ties to Beijing.

“I’ll hook you up to a f—ing polygraph!” Hegseth shouted at Adm. Christopher Grady, the then-acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to two people familiar with the exchange. Hegseth demanded proof that Grady hadn’t leaked news of the March 21 briefing.

Grady was never subjected to a polygraph, and Hegseth would go on to accuse a number of other people for the leak, including Lt. Gen. Doug Sims, the Joint Staff director, whom Hegseth also threatened with a polygraph test.

But for Hegseth, the episode marked a turning point in an already rocky tenure. Coming just days after revelations that the former Fox News host had shared sensitive military information in unsecured group chats on Signal, the leaks deepened his frustrations and eroded his trust in his close circle of advisers, the officials say.

However, White House staffers have pushed back when such polygraph threats spilled over into their domain, and President Trump reportedly intervened to temporarily halt it, prior reports say.

The controversy ensued into the summer, though some cast doubt on the media reports…

DRIVE-BY MEDIA? WaPo is reporting that a senior advisor to Secretary Hegseth refused to take a lie detector test during the leak investigation, complaining directly to the White House which immediately ordered Pete to stop using polygraph tests in his investigation. Pentagon… pic.twitter.com/Uq7BXBgq3N

— @amuse (@amuse) July 26, 2025

The reality too is that leaks to the media are a fairly standard part of any administration, going back through American history. Trump likely knows this, but is naturally leery of any further efforts of deep state operatives sabotaging his administration and its policies.

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