In a stark reminder of the internal battles still simmering within the highest levels of government, Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave amid an active investigation into leaks from the Department of Defense. While specifics remain shrouded in classified silence, confirmation from Defense Department officials signals that the investigation is more than bureaucratic posturing—this is a serious inquiry that could have national security implications.
The Daily Wire first broke the news, citing Defense insiders and corroborating a report from Reuters, which revealed that Caldwell had been escorted out of the Pentagon earlier in the day.
The reason? An “unauthorized disclosure,” according to sources familiar with the situation. What, exactly, was disclosed—or to whom—remains unconfirmed. But the act of physically removing a top official from one of the nation’s most secure institutions is a move that demands attention.
NEW: Defense Department official confirms to @realDailyWire that Dan Caldwell, a top advisor to Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave related to an investigation into DOD leaks.
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) April 15, 2025
Secretary Hegseth has yet to publicly comment, but silence from the top does not equate to inaction. It’s part of a broader, increasingly aggressive approach from the Trump administration’s second term, which has adopted an unmistakably hardline stance on internal leaks.
The ghosts of the first Trump administration—plagued by strategic leaks, rogue actors, and media manipulation—loom large. This time, the guardrails are being replaced by barricades.
And not just in the Department of Defense.
At Homeland Security, Secretary Kristi Noem is reportedly using polygraph tests to ferret out potential leakers. Her assistant secretary for public affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agency’s approach is unapologetically relentless: status, seniority, or political allegiance won’t provide sanctuary. Leakers, she said bluntly, “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard, now serving as Director of National Intelligence, has also turned up the heat. In a stern statement, she declared the era of unaccountable intelligence leaks over, signaling a sweeping cultural shift across federal agencies. Where prior administrations tolerated ambiguity and slow-walked accountability, this one is pursuing answers—and consequences—with unusual speed.
