Hegseth chief of staff leaves Defense Department amid latest Pentagon shakeups

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's chief of staff, Joe Kasper, is now expected to leave the Pentagon altogether, it was reported Thursday, instead of just moving to another area within the Department of Defense (DoD).

The departure marks the latest shake-up in the DoD, which has seen multiple officials fired over recent leaks to the media. Three officials were dismissed last week for their alleged roles, including a former senior adviser to Hegseth. The Pentagon announced last month that it was investigating leaks of national security information. 

Kasper's exit is not related to the national security leaks, and he is now expected to work in an advising and supportive role as a special government employee, he told Politico. He is also planning to return to government relations and consulting.

The special employee designation means Kasper can only work for the government for 130 days a year. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is also a special government employee in his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency. 

Hegseth told Fox & Friends earlier this week that he held no ill-will toward Kasper for moving to another area of the Pentagon, and reaffirmed his support for the man.

“Joe is a great guy, great American,” Hegseth said. “He has done a fantastic job for us at the Defense Department…You make changes over time, and we’re grateful for everything Joe’s done.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage