A dramatic turn of events unfolds at the Pentagon as John Ullyot, a former spokesman and close ally of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reveals internal chaos within the department.
According to Daily Mail, Ullyot published a scathing op-ed in Politico on Sunday that exposed the "full-blown meltdown" inside the Pentagon and called for President Trump to fire his former boss Hegseth.
The revelations come after Ullyot's resignation from his Pentagon position on Wednesday, where he had served as a favor to Hegseth. His departure followed a series of controversies, including the defense of temporarily removing baseball legend Jackie Robinson's military service records from a government website as an anti-DEI measure.
The Pentagon's troubles intensified when details emerged about Hegseth's involvement in unauthorized Signal group chats discussing sensitive military operations.
These communications included real-time discussions about military strikes in Yemen among high-ranking officials. The situation worsened when it was discovered that Hegseth had included his wife Jennifer, brother, and personal attorney in these sensitive conversations.
Ullyot specifically criticized Hegseth's handling of The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg's reporting on the Signal chat leak. He described the secretary's response as "Clinton-esque" and claimed that following poor crisis communications advice led to "a multi-week embarrassment" for the department.
The controversy has already resulted in the termination of three top Pentagon staffers: Darin Selnick, Dan Caldwell, and Colin Carroll. Additionally, Hegseth's Chief of Staff Joe Kasper is expected to resign in the coming days.
In his op-ed, Ullyot delivered a stark assessment of the department's current state. Here's what he wrote:
It's hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer. The dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president - who deserves better from his senior leadership.
The former spokesman warned of more revelations to come, suggesting that key Pentagon reporters have privately indicated additional "bombshell stories" would surface this week. This development has raised concerns about the Defense Department's ability to maintain focus on its primary military objectives.
Further complications arose when it was revealed that Hegseth had established another Signal group chat called "Defense Team Huddle" with 13 participants. The chat reportedly contained sensitive information about F/A-18 Hornets' flight schedules during Yemen operations. The use of Signal, a commercially available app not authorized for sensitive communications, has raised serious security concerns.
The Pentagon's spokesperson Sean Parnell defended Hegseth, dismissing the allegations as attempts by "recently-fired 'leakers'" to undermine the President's agenda. However, the White House's response has focused on damage control rather than addressing the underlying security protocol violations.
The Defense Department faces mounting challenges less than 100 days into Trump's administration. Recent controversies have included widespread staff terminations and contentious policy changes regarding diversity initiatives. These events have created unprecedented tension within the department's leadership structure.
The Pentagon's internal stability has been severely compromised by the ongoing controversy surrounding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership. The situation began with unauthorized Signal group chats containing sensitive military information and escalated with the firing of three senior staffers. Ullyot's public call for Hegseth's termination, coupled with warnings of more revelations to come, suggests the department faces continued upheaval in the days ahead. The White House must now decide how to address these security breaches while maintaining the Pentagon's operational effectiveness during a period of significant international military engagement.
