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Other officials wondered what this would mean for Hegseth, a still inexperienced Pentagon leader who has just lost many of his top advisers.
Joe Kasper, chief of staff to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, will leave his role in the coming days for a new position at the agency, according to a senior administration official, as the Pentagon endured a week of turmoil.
Senior adviser Dan Caldwell, Hegseth's deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, were suspended this week amid an ongoing investigation into the leaks.
The latest incidents add to broader Pentagon chaos in recent months, including the leak of sensitive information by Hegseth in a Signal chat with other national security leaders and a controversial visit to the department by Elon Musk.
Caldwell, Carroll, Selnick and Kasper declined to comment. Two of the people said Carroll and Selnick plan to file a lawsuit over the erroneous conclusions.
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.
Kasper had called for an investigation into the leaks in March, which included military operational plans for the Panama Canal, a second carrier headed to the Red Sea, Musk's visit and one related to intelligence gathering on Ukraine.
But some in the Pentagon identified a rivalry between Kasper and the dismissed advisers.
"Joe didn't like those guys," said a defense official, adding "they all have different styles. They just didn't get along. It was a personality clash."
The changes will leave Hegseth without a chief of staff, deputy chief of staff or senior adviser in his office.
"There's a complete meltdown in the building and it's really reflecting on the secretary's leadership," said a senior defense official, adding, "Pete Hegseth has surrounded himself with some people who don't have his best interests at heart."
This week's terminations follow a purge of senior military officers in February, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti.
"There will probably be more chaos," said a third defense official. "It certainly reinforces the fear factor, the awareness that no one's job is safe."
Other officials wondered what this would mean for Hegseth, a still inexperienced Pentagon leader who has just lost many of his top advisers.
Democrats pointed to the firings as another example of Hegseth's inability to lead the agency.
"Everyone knew that Pete Hegseth did not possess the leadership qualities, background or experience to be Secretary of Defense," said Chris Meagher, who served as assistant secretary of Defense for public affairs during the Biden administration.
“Everything we’ve seen since then — the firing of several American heroes for perceived lack of loyalty, the Signalgate debacle, the complete lack of transparency, and now several political staffers being shown the door — has only confirmed that he doesn’t have what it takes to lead.” /Adapted from Politico Pamphlet/
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