The Trump administration is encountering sustained difficulties in staffing key positions within the Department of Defense, with at least three individuals declining senior roles in Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office, according to reports by NBC News and The Daily Beast.
The posts remain unfilled more than six weeks after Hegseth abruptly dismissed multiple aides, triggering accusations of mismanagement and political infighting at one of the US government’s most sensitive institutions.
The vacancies include the position of chief of staff to the Secretary of Defense—a post typically seen as prestigious and influential in shaping defence policy. However, the role has proven hard to fill following a string of personnel changes and allegations of internal dysfunction.
In April, Hegseth dismissed three senior aides—Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll, and Darin Selnick—accusing them of leaking sensitive information. The former aides have denied the claims, calling their sackings “unconscionable”, and noting that no evidence was presented. One of the dismissed staffers later described the work environment under Hegseth as “chaotic,” alleging that the secretary spent “at least half his time” pursuing leak investigations and fostering a “culture of fear and toxicity”.
Subsequent revelations have further complicated matters. According to The Washington Post and NBC News, Hegseth is alleged to have shared classified information—including operational details of US airstrikes in Yemen—in private Signal messaging groups, one of which mistakenly included The Atlantic‘s editor-in-chief due to an apparent error by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. A separate Signal group, reportedly involving Hegseth’s wife, his personal lawyer, and his brother, also featured discussions on sensitive military matters.
The fallout from the Signal disclosures has led to an internal Pentagon investigation. Initially led by Hegseth and his attorney, the probe was subsequently reassigned by the White House to the deputy defence secretary after concerns over impartiality. No conclusive evidence has been found to support the original leak accusations, prompting questions within the administration as to whether the dismissals were premature.
Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles have since taken an active role in assisting Hegseth with recruitment efforts. However, sources indicate that tensions between the Pentagon and the White House personnel office have complicated the process. Some candidates put forward by the administration have been rejected by Hegseth for political reasons, while others were blocked by the White House for lacking sufficient alignment with the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) agenda.
One notable internal dispute involved Hegseth’s preferred candidate to replace his chief of staff: Col. Ricky Buria, a Biden-era holdover in the Pentagon. The White House refused to approve Buria, reportedly due to past criticism of Vance’s foreign policy positions. Despite Buria’s close ties to Hegseth and his wife Jennifer Rauchet, the White House’s opposition remained firm.
The Department of Defense has attempted to downplay the difficulties. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued a statement rejecting the anonymous sources cited in media coverage, claiming instead that the military under Hegseth’s leadership had achieved its highest recruitment levels in three decades. Deputy press secretary Anna Kelly echoed that position, stating that “thanks to Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, military recruitment is up, terrorists are eliminated, and warfighters are prioritised.”
Nevertheless, the high turnover and ongoing leadership vacuum have raised questions about operational stability and decision-making at the top of the Pentagon. With the US military engaged in multiple active theatres and strategic tensions rising globally, the absence of senior aides and a permanent chief of staff is a growing concern for defence officials and congressional observers alike.
The White House has not announced any final decisions on the pending appointments. Recruitment efforts are ongoing, but insiders suggest that the reputational damage within Hegseth’s office—amplified by reports of disorganisation, political vetting, and communication breaches—may be deterring otherwise qualified candidates.
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