USA NEWS TODAY: WASHINGTON, April 27, 2025 — In the latest shakeup within the Pentagon’s top ranks, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, has been removed from his position, marking the fourth high-profile departure in just one week amid ongoing political turmoil.
According to a Defense Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Kasper will remain at the Pentagon to work on special projects. His removal adds to the instability at the highest levels of military leadership—an unusual and unsettling development during a period of heightened scrutiny over national security practices.
Kasper, a seasoned political operator who served in the first Trump administration and was previously chief of staff to Rep. Duncan Hunter, Jr., had been appointed to his Pentagon role in late January. His earlier career includes lobbying work at Ervin Graves Strategy Group and brief tenures at the Department of Homeland Security, the Air Force, and the Navy.
Kasper had recently made headlines in early April, promoting the deportation of alleged Venezuelan and MS-13 gang members to El Salvador as a “successful counterterrorism mission.” Just weeks earlier, he warned Pentagon personnel that leaking sensitive information could lead to lie detector tests—a move aimed at curbing internal disclosures following reports of Elon Musk’s upcoming Pentagon briefing on China.
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His dismissal comes as Secretary Hegseth faces a Pentagon Inspector General investigation into allegations that he mishandled classified information by discussing the timing of U.S. air strikes against Houthi militants with senior Trump administration officials via the encrypted app Signal. The conversation inadvertently included a journalist from The Atlantic magazine, further intensifying concerns.
While Hegseth has denied leaking operational details, multiple military officials have indicated that the specific information he allegedly shared—regarding strike timing—is among the most protected within national security circles.
USA NEWS TODAY: A String of High-Level Ousters
Kasper’s departure follows the suspension of two of Hegseth’s aides, Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick, last week. Both were placed on administrative leave amid an ongoing investigation into unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information. The Pentagon has withheld details, citing the active nature of the inquiry.
In addition, Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the U.S. military’s representative to NATO and former president of the Naval War College, was fired earlier this month. A Pentagon spokesperson stated Chatfield was relieved of duty “due to a loss of confidence in her ability to lead.”
Since taking office, Hegseth has overseen a sweeping purge of senior Pentagon officials associated with Biden-era diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, as well as those tied to the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. In February, he removed former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. C.Q. Brown and announced plans to replace Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife.
“We thank them for their service and dedication to our country,” Hegseth said in a statement at the time.
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The rapid turnover at the Pentagon has raised concerns among both current and former military leaders, many of whom fear the disruptions could undermine the United States’ strategic posture during a volatile global moment.
