Hegseth was upset by reports he had planned a briefing for Elon Musk on China.
ABC News has confirmed that in at least two separate meetings Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused top-ranking military officers of leaking to the media and threatened to polygraph them.
According to one person familiar with the exchanges, Hegseth was upset by media reports that he had planned a briefing for Elon Musk on China.
In a meeting with Adm. Christopher Grady, who was serving as then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Hegseth yelled “I’ll hook you up to a [expletive] polygraph!”
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 24: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a meeting between President Donald Trump and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in the Oval Office at the White House on April 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. The leaders are expected to discuss security, trade, NATO and the war in Ukraine.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Hegseth then made a similar threat in a separate meeting with Lt. Gen. Doug Sims, the Joint Staff director, according to the person.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the exchanges.
A spokesperson for the Joint Staff declined to comment.
