A former Pentagon official shares his insights about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's management style after being fired amid ongoing investigations of unauthorized information sharing.
According to The Hill, Colin Carroll, the former chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve A. Feinberg, discussed his observations of Hegseth's leadership during an appearance on "The Megyn Kelly Show," describing contrasting behaviors in different settings.
Carroll's termination came in the wake of a broader investigation into recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information at the Defense Department. The incident led to the suspension and removal of two of Hegseth's advisers from the Pentagon premises.
Carroll painted a picture of two distinctly different sides to Hegseth's leadership approach. During a meeting with House Freedom Caucus members, Carroll witnessed an impressive performance from the secretary regarding budget discussions.
Carroll shared his perspective on Megyn Kelly's show:
The secretary crushed that meeting. I have never seen a meeting like that. There's not a secretary in living memory that could have done as good a job with those guys. At the same time, I've seen the secretary in more internal meetings where he is super focused on, like, very, in my opinion, weird details and very agitated and kind of yelling and just, nothing's good.
The revelations about Hegseth's behavior come at a critical time for the Defense Department, as questions surface about his ability to effectively lead the organization under mounting pressure.
The Defense Secretary faces increased scrutiny following the discovery of two separate Signal group chats. The first chat involved discussions about potential military actions against Houthi rebels in Yemen, while the second included communications with family members and his personal lawyer.
Hegseth has defended his actions, maintaining that no war plans were shared in these communications. He characterized the messages in the second chat as "informal" and "unclassified."
The Trump administration continues to support Hegseth despite growing concerns from political insiders about his leadership capabilities and speculation about his future in the role.
The Defense Department has taken a strong stance in defending Hegseth's performance. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell issued a statement addressing the controversy.
Parnell emphasized Hegseth's accomplishments during the administration's first 100 days, suggesting that his achievements surpass those of most previous secretaries over their entire four-year terms. The spokesperson criticized media coverage of the situation, suggesting that news outlets were focusing on gossip while ignoring substantial departmental progress.
Colin Carroll, a former Pentagon official, was terminated last week following an investigation into unauthorized information leaks at the Defense Department. His dismissal occurred amid growing concerns about Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership style and the controversial use of Signal group chats for sensitive communications.
The Defense Department's ongoing investigation into unauthorized disclosures of national security information has resulted in multiple staff removals and suspensions. While the Trump administration maintains support for Hegseth, questions persist about his ability to effectively lead the department through this challenging period, with speculation growing about potential leadership changes in the future.
