The Pentagon has subjected roughly 50 members of the US military’s Joint Staff to polygraph tests as part of an unprecedented investigation into leaks to journalists, including reports about dwindling US munitions stocks during the war on Iran, the New York Times reports.
The tests were conducted in August as multiple news reports detailed shortages of key weapons, including long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors, the newspaper said, citing officials briefed on the investigation.
Investigators questioned military officers and civilian employees on the Joint Staff about whether they had disclosed classified information to members of the press and whether they had provided information about declining US munitions stocks, the report said.
The sweeping investigation appears intended not only to identify those who may have shared information with journalists, but also to discourage others from doing so in the future.
The scale of the investigation is highly unusual. Mass polygraph testing has not previously been used against senior US military personnel on such a scale in modern times.
“I’ve never seen polygraphs employed this broadly or at this seniority level,” said retired Rear Adm. Donald J. Guter, who served as the Navy’s top judge advocate general from 2000 to 2002. “In my experience, it’s unprecedented.”
The investigation comes as several news organizations have published reports detailing how the war against Iran has depleted US munitions stockpiles, while also reporting on internal concerns within the administration over the strategic direction of the aggression.
President Donald Trump has pressed administration officials to aggressively pursue those responsible for leaks. He has also described media coverage critical of the US handling of the war and its weapons shortages as “treasonous.”
The leak investigations have contributed to an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion inside the Pentagon, which current and former officials say has been encouraged by war secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth, surrounded by a close circle of loyalists, has pushed out or blocked the promotions of at least 80 generals, admirals, and other officials since taking office.
Since early last year, the Pentagon has launched multiple leak investigations in response to news coverage of Hegseth’s leadership, even as he faced criticism over his disclosure of sensitive information about strikes in Yemen in a Signal group last year.
Hegseth has not briefed the Pentagon press corps on the US war against Iran since May 5 and has sought to restrict journalists’ access to the Pentagon.
Last month, the Pentagon dismissed the publisher and editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, a government-funded publication covering the US military.
The journalists said their removal was retaliation for the outlet’s reporting on worsening conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Trump has continued to support Hegseth, saying he is doing a “fantastic job” despite growing concerns over leadership turmoil at the Pentagon.
Some Republicans in Congress have recently begun publicly criticizing the war secretary, slamming him for mistreating senior military officials.
“I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country,” Senator Thom Tillis, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote in a social media post this week, calling on Trump to replace Hegseth.
“He is intimidated by competence and retreats to ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defense and the health and well-being of our fighting force,” Tillis said.
Tillis was among the senators who voted to confirm Hegseth as war secretary in early 2025, despite previously expressing concerns about his nomination.
