WASHINGTON — The White House is looking for a new chief of staff and several senior advisers to support Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after a series of missteps that have shaken confidence in his leadership, but it has so far found no suitable takers, according to four current and former administration officials and a Republican congressional aide.
Top Defense Department jobs, including the defense secretary’s chief of staff, are normally considered prestigious and typically attract multiple qualified candidates. But at least three people have already turned down potential roles under Hegseth, according to a former U.S. official, the defense official and a person familiar with the matter.
Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles have taken an active interest in finding ways to help Hegseth after he abruptly suspended two handpicked senior aides in April, accusing them of leaking classified information in a Fox News interview. Soon afterward, Hegseth announced the removal of his chief of staff on Fox News and a senior press aide resigned, writing later that Hegseth’s office was in “total chaos.”
At the same time, the turmoil in Hegseth’s front office has contributed to setbacks.
The infighting helped delay plans for “Golden Dome,” Trump’s signature missile defense program to defend the U.S. homeland, officials said. It has also contributed to the lack of a Pentagon budget, which raised frustrations among Republicans on Capitol Hill, many of whom supported Hegseth in his tight confirmation battle.
Hegseth also approved a China briefing for Elon Musk that included highly sensitive information that Trump canceled after he found about it, according to The New York Times. Trump and Hegseth denied the account, but a former and a current official said Hegseth’s misstep affected Trump’s view of Hegseth.
Hegseth’s role in the use of Signal to share sensitive military information remains a problem for him, and it is likely to resurface soon. A Pentagon inspector general report, which is likely to be completed within weeks, is expected to conclude that Hegseth shared classified information on the Signal chat, according to multiple officials.
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