"Signalgate" Scandal Unsettles Hegseth — Pentagon Insiders

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appeared angry, disheveled, and hesitant since the emergence of the Signalgate scandal in March, Pentagon insiders told New York Magazine, Liam Archacki reported for The Daily Beast.

Before the scandal broke, Hegseth was reportedly eager to implement his vision for the military. I Photo: U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza / U.S. Secretary of Defense Flickr

Six sources close to Hegseth described him as a changed man following revelations that he shared war plans via a Signal group chat that mistakenly included The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.

“He was more prone to anger and less likely to be clean-shaven in the morning,” New York’s report noted. “He seemed reluctant to make decisions—scared of doing the wrong thing, paralyzed as he awaited orders from the White House.”

Before the scandal broke, Hegseth was reportedly eager to implement his vision for the military.

Since then, he has become markedly less proactive, with the Department of Defense described by insiders as reduced to “a mechanism for implementing executive orders.”

The New York profile also reveals fresh details of the dysfunction, infighting, and ongoing turmoil surrounding Hegseth’s tenure.

One notable subplot involves former Chief of Staff Joe Kasper, who drew internal criticism for reportedly refusing to wear socks—even during a meeting with the Japanese prime minister.

Kasper, who left his position in April following a reported “knife-fight” power struggle with other aides, defended his fashion choices. “Rare for me to wear no socks,” he told the magazine. “It’s gotta be the right shoe, man. There are people in there wearing SpongeBob socks.”

Kasper, who was tasked by Hegseth to investigate internal leaks, also faced persistent rumors of drug use—rumors he has strongly denied.

The infighting culminated with the firing of three senior aides—Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll, and Darin Selnick—in the leak probe. The trio later issued a joint statement condemning their dismissal as “unconscionable,” and hinted their removal was unrelated to any leaks.