Dan Caldwell, a key adviser to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday and placed on administrative leave over an alleged unauthorized disclosure, a US official confirmed to Reuters.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Caldwell was identified during an internal investigation into leaks within the Department of Defense. While the exact nature of the information disclosed remains unclear, the probe is still ongoing, and it has not been confirmed whether the leak was made to a journalist or another party.
This development comes amid the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on leaks an initiative fully backed by Hegseth. In March, Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, issued a memo calling for an investigation into recent unauthorized disclosures involving sensitive national security communications. The memo suggested that polygraph tests could be part of the inquiry, although it’s unclear whether Caldwell underwent one.
Although not widely known to the public, Caldwell has been an influential figure within the Pentagon. A leaked Signal chat, reported by The Atlantic, revealed that Hegseth personally recommended Caldwell as the primary liaison for the National Security Council during preparations for US strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Caldwell, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, has previously drawn attention for his critical views on US foreign policy. In an interview with The Financial Times in December 2024, he described the Iraq War as a “monstrous crime” and advocated for a reduced US global military footprint, including skepticism over support for Ukraine and NATO involvement.
His suspension comes amid a broader Pentagon shake-up under Hegseth, who has dismissed several top military leaders since taking office in January, including senior commanders and legal officials.
The Department of Defense has not issued an official statement on Caldwell’s removal.
