Top aide to Kendall: Pentagon Chief of Staff Ousted Amid Turmoil
Joe Kasper, the chief of staff to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been removed from his position, marking the fourth top official to be fired or reassigned in the last week amid political turmoil at the Pentagon. According to a Defense official, Kasper will continue to work on special projects at the Pentagon.
Unrest at the Pentagon
The unrest at the pinnacle of the military’s leadership is highly unusual. Hegseth has been the focus of a Pentagon Inspector General’s review of his handling of sensitive military information via the commercial app Signal. This review has led to a series of high-profile departures and reassignments.
Kasper’s Background
Kasper, who worked in the first Trump administration, had previously been chief of staff to Rep. Duncan Hunter, Jr. Hunter had been convicted of misusing campaign funds and was later pardoned by Trump. Kasper was sworn in as Hegseth’s chief of staff in late January.
Recent Activities
In early April, Kasper touted the deportation of alleged Venezuelan and MS-13 gang members to El Salvador as a “successful counterterrorism mission.” In late March, Kasper was among senior Pentagon officials who vowed to crack down on leaks. He issued a memo warning that those suspected of disclosing sensitive information could be subject to lie detector tests.
Still on Top aide to Kendall
Kasper’s Past Experience
According to his LinkedIn profile, Kasper’s past experiences include four years at the Ervin Graves lobbying firm, one-year stints at Homeland Security, the Air Force, and Navy, and about a decade as a Congressional staffer.
Other Ousters from the Pentagon
The Pentagon has been rocked by turnover in recent weeks. Two aides to Hegseth were placed on administrative leave last week as part of an investigation into unauthorized leaks of information. The Pentagon did not disclose specifics of the alleged offense by Dan Caldwell or Darin Selnick because the matter is under investigation.
Signal Chat Leak
The suspensions come after Hegseth disclosed operational details of the Pentagon’s air strikes on Houthi militants on March 15. Hegseth discussed the attack’s timing with senior Trump administration officials on the encrypted commercial app Signal. That chat had mistakenly included the editor of The Atlantic magazine. Hegseth has denied releasing sensitive information.
Sensitive Information Disclosure
Several current and former military officials have told USA TODAY that the information Hegseth disclosed, the timing of attacks, is among the most closely guarded national security information. The firings came amid a purge of top officials linked to Biden-era diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Pentagon’s Leadership Challenges
The ousters following the news of the Signal chat leak highlight the challenges facing the Pentagon’s leadership. The department is working to maintain stability and ensure that sensitive information is protected. The investigation into the alleged leaks is ongoing.
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