White House circles wagons as new twist in Pete Hegseth saga leaves administration scrambling

Washington D.C.: The White House has been left wrong-footed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s investigation into a classified Pentagon leak after advisers were told that three fired aides were identified through an illegal NSA wiretap.

The claim, which would constitute a major constitutional violation, was reportedly pushed by Hegseth’s personal lawyer, Tim Parlatore, who led the probe. Four sources confirm the allegation caused internal turmoil, with Trump advisers calling it baseless and questioning the investigation’s credibility.

The probe centers on the leak of a top-secret document outlining U.S. military options for the Panama Canal. Senior adviser Dan Caldwell and two other aides were fired last month, but Caldwell denied involvement, calling his dismissal politically motivated during an appearance on Tucker Carlson’s podcast.

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The White House, initially briefed that Caldwell printed and photographed the document, now doubts the evidence amid shifting explanations.

Parlatore allegedly suggested a warrantless wiretap uncovered the leak—a claim he denies—before stepping back as the case shifted to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg’s office. The episode has left Hegseth’s team in disarray, with no permanent chief of staff and White House concerns about office infighting influencing the probe.

The White House reiterated Trump’s confidence in Hegseth.