Inside the Pentagon’s “Cold War”: iInternal battles roil Pentagon under Hegseth

Six months into Pete Hegseth’s trial as SecDef, the Pentagon is facing chaos, internal strife, and persistent scandals. Despite President Trump’s vocal support, most recently during the 28 July 2025 Cabinet meeting, multiple reporting streams cite “unsettling” dysfunction among the secretary’s inner circle, as noted by Politico A “cold war” persists between senior advisers—including Eric Geressy and acting chief of staff Ricky Buria—driven by mutual distrust, exclusion from key meetings, and jockeying for influence. This climate has been exacerbated by the abrupt firing of senior officials accused of leaks (allegations many, including White House insiders, now privately doubt), and the hasty elevation of new appointees with unorthodox backgrounds.

Signalgate: a security breach with political fallout

Central to the scandal vortex is “Signalgate.” The Pentagon’s inspector general is investigating evidence that Hegseth’s team shared sensitive strike plans for a Yemen operation via the unclassified Signal app, despite Pentagon denials that classified data were involved. The group chat in question included Cabinet officials, and by mistake, a journalist—a severe breach in operational security. The Signal threads reportedly drew from an email classified “SECRET/NOFORN.” National security veterans, including retired Adm. William McRaven, argue that what was shared was plainly classified in nature.

During congressional hearings in June, Hegseth repeatedly dodged questions about whether his office first received these military details over a classified system—undercutting the administration’s public insistence that “no classified information was shared.”

Scandals and morale: a culture of fear

Account after account from current and former Pentagon staff describes a persistent sense of paranoia, arbitrary internal purges, and little appetite at the very top to address the morale crisis. Hegseth’s “obsession” with loyalty has fueled fears among career staff that any internal dissent—or even perceived dissent—could trigger accusations of criminal activity or professional termination. Workers describe the DOD environment as “the crème de la crème of dysfunction.”

Defense and denials: the Trump White House

For now, President Trump remains publicly unshakable. The White House and senior staff consistently dismiss the “palace intrigue” as the product of partisan media or disgruntled insiders, emphasizing DOD “action” over optics. Pentagon press releases tout record-high recruiting, “flawless” operations against threats ranging from Iran to the southern border, and revitalized morale among active-duty troops.

Yet, even insiders acknowledge that the “drama” is not over. As one Trump adviser confided, “there’s going to be more shoes to drop all around.”