The White House has decided to suspend the use of polygraph tests at the Pentagon following a complaint from one of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s advisors. This information was reported by The Washington Post, citing sources within the administration.
The complaint was filed by Patrick Wiver, known for his support of strict immigration policies. He previously worked on the National Security Council and was close to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Wiver approached senior Trump administration officials in the spring when it became likely that he would have to undergo a polygraph test.
After his complaint, a White House representative contacted the Pentagon, resulting in Hegseth being forced to halt the tests. At the time of the suspension, several members of the Joint Interagency Advisory Group had already undergone the tests, as well as Colonel Ricky Buria, whose results were inconclusive.
Polygraphs were also planned to be used to screen Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Christopher Grady and Joint Staff Director General Douglas Sims. However, Hegseth canceled Sims’s promotion to four-star general despite support from senior military leadership.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell described the media interest in this situation as an “obsession of fake news media” and declined to comment on the investigation.
“The Department does not comment on ongoing investigations. The fake news media’s obsession with months-long rumors is a sign of the sad state of journalism in Washington.”
– Sean Parnell, Pentagon spokesperson
Sources in Washington indicate that this situation reflects a serious internal crisis within Hegseth’s team, accompanied by the dismissal of key officials, conflicts with other agencies, and attempts to control information leaks.