The Trump administration has launched an unusually sweeping crackdown on suspected information leaks inside the US Department of Defense, with dozens of Pentagon personnel reportedly subjected to polygraph examinations.
According to reports cited in the article, around 50 military officers and civilian officials working with the US military’s Joint Staff underwent polygraph tests in August. The examinations were reportedly part of an investigation into whether classified information had been provided to journalists, particularly information concerning the availability of US weapons and ammunition.
The investigation gained momentum after media reports in July suggested that supplies of some critical US munitions, including long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors, were running low. The reports emerged as the United States was conducting military operations against Iran. The Trump administration strongly rejected suggestions that US weapons supplies were running out, insisting that it had “massive amounts” of weaponry available.
The reported polygraph examinations were designed to determine whether officials had disclosed classified information to the media. CBS News separately reported that several dozen people had undergone polygraph examinations earlier in the summer, including officials connected to US Central Command. According to sources cited by CBS, nobody failed questions intended to determine whether officials had leaked information to journalists.
The crackdown extends beyond the polygraph tests. Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon has opened multiple leak investigations and introduced restrictions affecting journalists’ access to military officials and information. The department also created a task force with the Department of Justice to accelerate investigations into unauthorised disclosures.
The scale of the polygraph operation is particularly notable because the Joint Staff employs between 1,500 and 2,000 military officers and civilian officials, while Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine was among senior officials who were not tested. The Pentagon has declined to publicly confirm details of the examinations, saying it does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters.
The issue is also politically sensitive because Trump has accused unnamed staff members of making what he called “treasonous statements” to journalists and has threatened severe consequences for those responsible for leaks. At the same time, the Pentagon’s relationship with journalists has become increasingly strained, with additional restrictions placed on media access.
Polygraph testing itself is not unprecedented in the US national security system. Personnel involved with certain sensitive programmes can already face lie-detector examinations as part of security procedures. What makes the current situation unusual is the reported scale and the use of polygraphs to investigate whether senior military personnel disclosed information to journalists. The article notes that the New York Times reported there had been nothing comparable across the upper ranks of the US military in modern history.
