The Department of Defense is launching a sweeping internal investigation into what it calls “unauthorized disclosures” of national security information, raising the possibility that military and civilian personnel could soon face polygraph testing to identify potential leakers, according to a memo circulated late Friday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s chief of staff.
The memo, obtained by several media outlets, did not specify what information may have been leaked, but followed shortly after President Donald Trump forcefully denied reports suggesting his adviser Elon Musk would be briefed on Pentagon war planning related to a hypothetical conflict with China.
“If this effort results in information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorized disclosure,” the memo states, “such information will be referred to the appropriate criminal entity for criminal prosecution.”
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The investigation appears to be part of a broader Trump administration crackdown on intelligence leaks and media disclosures, particularly those perceived as undermining national security or misrepresenting administration policy.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is also ramping up efforts to identify internal leakers. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently pledged to increase the use of lie detector tests on employees, particularly those with access to sensitive or classified information. The tests are intended to deter future disclosures and uncover individuals leaking details about internal operations to the media.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department announced its own investigation Friday into what it called “the selective leak of inaccurate, but nevertheless classified, information” related to intelligence reports on Tren de Aragua — a violent Venezuelan gang the Trump administration has targeted for mass deportation.
A DOJ spokesperson said the leak may have compromised sensitive tactics being used in ongoing immigration enforcement operations.
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The potential use of polygraphs — commonly known as lie detector tests — has reignited debate over their reliability and effectiveness. While they are routinely used for national security clearance screenings and internal investigations, polygraphs are not admissible in federal courts or military proceedings due to concerns about false positives.
Still, the Pentagon has intermittently used polygraphs since the 1990s in response to leaks. A 1999 internal Defense report said the department would use lie detectors on personnel “if classified information they had access to has been leaked.”
Leaks have long been a thorn in the side of presidential administrations, often used to float trial balloons or reveal internal dissent. But under Trump’s second term, the White House has taken a more aggressive stance, viewing leaks as not only disruptive but criminal.
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The Musk-Pentagon controversy, which President Trump dismissed as “completely fake,” seems to have accelerated internal scrutiny. The New York Times had reported that Musk would be briefed in the Pentagon’s secure “Tank” on U.S. military planning against China, citing anonymous officials — a claim that was denied by Trump, Hegseth, and Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.
“Leaks like this not only endanger our national security but also mislead the American public,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “They must be stopped.”
As the Pentagon, DHS, and DOJ work in tandem to hunt down potential leakers, civil liberties advocates warn the administration’s aggressive tactics may chill legitimate whistleblowing and press freedom.
For now, defense employees are bracing for possible questioning — and lie detector tests — as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to control internal dissent and secure the nation’s most sensitive secrets.
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