Is the writing on the wall for Pete Hegseth? Latest Trump snub speaks volumes

The report added that Buria’s potential promotion alarmed the White House for multiple reasons.

PUBLISHED MAY 10, 2025

The move comes as scrutiny over Hegseth’s management intensifies.

Washington D.C.: The White House will reject Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's choice for chief of staff and install its own candidate, according to two sources familiar with the matter, The Guardian reported.

Hegseth had recommended Marine Col. Ricky Buria for the role after his previous chief of staff, Joe Kasper, departed last month amid a leak investigation that led to the ouster of three senior aides. However, according to The Guardian report, the White House has deemed Buria unfit for the position, citing his limited experience as a junior military assistant and his involvement in internal office conflicts.

“Ricky will not be getting the chief position,” one source told the outlet. “He doesn’t have adequate experience, lacks the political chops, and is widely disliked by almost everyone in the White House.”

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Hegseth has reportedly agreed to a compromise: accepting the White House’s pick for chief of staff while retaining Buria as a senior adviser.

The report added that Buria’s potential promotion alarmed White House officials for multiple reasons. Despite being denied political appointee status, he has operated in that capacity and recently moved into the chief of staff’s office, even redecorating it. He also failed a polygraph test during the leak investigation and was linked to sensitive Signal group chats discussing U.S. missile strikes in Yemen.

A former MV-22 pilot, Buria rose through the Pentagon as a junior military assistant under Lloyd Austin before forging close ties with Hegseth and his wife. His influence grew after Hegseth fired his superior, Air Force Lt. Gen. Jennifer Short, allowing Buria to assume her duties temporarily. Despite the arrival of a permanent senior military assistant, Buria sought to transition into a political role, exploiting the leadership vacuum left by Kasper’s exit.