The deep state is in a state of chaos after Pete Hegseth fired three Department of Defense aides who were allegedly involved in the leaking of classified government information earlier this year, along with the departure of Hegseth’s chief of staff from his role following an extended period of turmoil within the agency.

For context, on April 18, 2025, Hegseth terminated three Defense aides — a senior adviser named Dan Caldwell, Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick, and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defense Colin Carroll —and removed Chief of Staff Joe Kasper from his position. All of these firings reportedly stemmed from a series of leaks that have beset the Pentagon in 2025, including the accidental inviting of Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat where top-secret plans were being discussed.