Top US military officials subjected to polygraph tests over information leaks on weapons stockpiles: report

Some of the highest-ranking officials in the U.S. military were subjected to polygraph tests as part of a broad investigation into leaks after highly sensitive classified information about the nation's stockpiles of advanced weapons appeared in the media, U.S. officials briefed on the matter told CBS News.

President Trump was furious over the leaks, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. Only a very small group of people had access to the classified information involving the munitions, raising concerns over whether anyone could potentially be acting as a foreign intelligence asset, one of the sources said.

Polygraph examinations are often part of the routine process for senior military and civilian officials. However, officials said the unusually large number of people brought in for testing in this case was extremely rare.

Several dozen people underwent the tests earlier this summer, including some U.S. Central Command officials as well as other combatant commanders.

The polygraph questions examined a range of national security-related matters in considerable detail. Two sources said no one failed the questions intended to determine whether the officials had leaked information to the media.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to CBS News on Friday night: "The Department does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly. Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world."

Not every senior military official was included in the testing. For example, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, wasn't polygraphed, a senior Pentagon official said.

The New York Times was first to report on the polygraph tests.

In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon and Justice Department had created a joint task force to identify and prosecute individuals suspected of leaking sensitive government information to the press, significantly expanding an effort that had initially begun inside his own office.

Hegseth gave the Pentagon's Office of General Counsel, led by Earl Matthews, broad authority to seek information, records and assistance related to leak investigations. Pentagon officials and personnel were instructed to prioritize the requests and respond within a two-day period.

"When a leak of department information occurs today, it's critical that we provide the Department of Justice and other partners in federal law enforcement — including the FBI — with actionable information as quickly as possible," Hegseth said when he announced the task force.

He added: "Leaked information risks lives."

The move came just days after the Justice Department subpoenaed several New York Times reporters over their reporting on security shortcomings aboard Mr. Trump's new Qatari-donated Air Force One.

The Justice Department later withdrew its subpoenas seeking grand jury testimony and phone records. The decision followed a contentious court hearing in which a U.S. district judge questioned federal prosecutors over why the subpoenas had been issued before additional investigative steps were taken, according to previous CBS News reporting.

Polygraphs are not unusual for government officials who are authorized to view top-secret material or "special access programs," which impose even tighter controls on sensitive national security information. Such tests are generally conducted every few years as part of the process of recertifying an individual's clearance.

However, national security officials told CBS News that the scope of the testing carried out this summer points to an investigation. Several people with direct knowledge of the matter said the FBI was not involved in these polygraph tests.

The military has its own investigators.

Secretaries of defense have the authority to order counterintelligence investigations that can include polygraph examinations. However, federal law and Pentagon regulations place restrictions on when such tests may be used and require procedural safeguards. In those circumstances, the person being examined must consent to or request the test.

That includes situations where investigators are attempting to resolve serious information uncovered during a security investigation, or when someone wants to clear themselves of allegations or evidence that surfaced during an investigation.

Under federal law, a defense secretary is required to ensure that polygraph examinations are used in a "responsible and effective" manner within the Defense Department and must also provide information to congressional bodies regarding their use.

For Hegseth, the latest effort is not the first time he has turned to polygraphs amid concerns about leaks from within the Pentagon.

Following the ouster of Gen. C.Q. Brown, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Hegseth was reportedly furious last year after information about a planned classified briefing on China for Elon Musk at the Pentagon was leaked to the press, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper reported that Hegseth shouted at Adm. Christopher Grady, who was then serving as acting Joint Chiefs chairman, and demanded evidence that he was not responsible for leaking details of the March 21, 2025, briefing.

Citing two anonymous people familiar with the exchange, the newspaper said Hegseth yelled at Grady: "I'll hook you up to a f—ing polygraph!"

The Journal reported that Grady was never subjected to a polygraph examination. Hegseth also accused others of leaking information, including Lt. Gen. Doug Sims, who served as director of the Joint Staff and was also threatened with a polygraph.