In a significant move to root out information leaks, the Trump administration has mandated polygraph examinations for approximately 50 military officers and civilian officials within the US Joint Staff. The tests, conducted in August, follow media reports indicating that American weapons stockpiles in the Middle East are dwindling.<\/p>\n
According to The New York Times, the examinations targeted personnel involved with the Joint Staff, which coordinates military operations and policy across global combatant commands. CBS News reported that similar tests were administered earlier in the summer to officials at US Central Command (CENTCOM). Sources told the network that no one failed the questions specifically aimed at identifying media leaks, though the polygraphs covered a broader range of national security topics.<\/p>\n
The crackdown comes after news emerged in July that supplies of critical munitions, including long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors, were running low. These reports coincided with a pause in US attacks on Iran. President Donald Trump has vehemently denied the reports of depleted stockpiles, claiming the military possesses “massive amounts” of weaponry. He has characterized the leaks as “treasonous statements” and vowed that those responsible would be “hunted down,” warning of potential lengthy prison sentences.<\/p>\n
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that the department takes leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously but declined to provide specific details about the polygraph operation. “The Department does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but investigates accordingly,” Parnell said.<\/p>\n
The sensitivity of the leaked information is heightened by the ongoing conflict with Iran, where Tehran has utilized cheap Shahed drones to deplete expensive US defensive systems like Patriot missiles. Analysts warn that knowledge of low ammunition stocks could reveal to adversaries how long Washington can sustain its military campaigns, which also include a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
This polygraph initiative is part of a broader strategy by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to curb unauthorized disclosures. Under his leadership, the Pentagon established a task force with the Department of Justice in July to accelerate leak investigations and expanded legal authority for obtaining records. Hegseth has also faced scrutiny for his strained relationship with the press, having canceled Pentagon news briefings since May and restricted journalist access to the building. Additionally, the Pentagon recently dismissed the publisher and editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes.<\/p>\n
The use of lie detectors on this scale among senior military ranks is considered unusual. While polygraphs are routine for personnel with access to certain special security programs, The New York Times reported that no comparable operation has been conducted across the upper echelons of the US military in modern history. Previous instances of polygraph use in the Trump administration include inquiries into unauthorized disclosures involving Elon Musk and investigations by FBI Director Kash Patel into leaks within the bureau.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Trump administration has ordered dozens of Joint Staff officials to undergo lie detector tests as part of an investigation into leaks regarding US weapons stockpiles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[2073,33,1569,2072,427,807,10],"class_list":["post-946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-leaks","tag-middle-east","tag-pentagon","tag-polygraph-tests","tag-trump-administration","tag-us-military","tag-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yovao.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yovao.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yovao.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yovao.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yovao.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yovao.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/946\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yovao.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yovao.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yovao.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}