WSJ: Hegseth Threatened Joint Chiefs Chairman Over Leaks, Yelled “I’ll Hook You Up To A F**king Polygraph”

Mediaite reports:

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth went off on the acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff amid a search for a leaker at the Pentagon, according to a report published Thursday in The Wall Street Journal. The paper said Hegseth was “rattled” after word got out last month that the Pentagon was set to brief Elon Musk on China, where the Tesla CEO has three factories.

During his search for the leaker, Hegseth erupted at Admiral Christopher Grady, who was then the acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. “I’ll hook you up to a f——-g polygraph!”

Hegseth shouted at the admiral, the Journal reported, according to two people familiar with the interaction. The secretary demanded proof that Grady was not the source of the Musk leak. Hegseth reportedly threatened others with a polygraph test, including Lt. Gen. Doug Sims, the Joint Chiefs director.

Read the full article. The WSJ report is behind a paywall.

“I’ll hook you up to a f——-g polygraph!” Hegseth shouted at Adm. Grady, then-acting Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, acc to two people familiar with the exchange. Hegseth demanded proof that Grady hadn’t leaked news of the March 21 briefing @wsj SCOOP https://t.co/reUztsx8Mw

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) April 24, 2025