Why has the Trump administration ordered staff to take polygraph tests?

In a large crackdown connected accusation leaks, the Trump medication has ordered dozens of Pentagon officials to undergo polygraph tests amid media reports of dwindling United States weapons stockpiles successful the Middle East.

About 50 subject officers and civilian officials moving with the US military’s Joint Staff were subjected to polygraph examinations – commonly known arsenic lie-detector tests – successful August, The New York Times (NYT) has reported.

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CBS News separately reported that respective twelve radical underwent polygraph examinations earlier successful the summer, including immoderate US Central Command (CENTCOM) officials.

As US President Donald Trump accused chartless unit of making “treasonous statements” to journalists earlier this week, an ongoing probe into accusation leaks besides involves the Department of Justice and the FBI.

Here’s what we cognize astir the polygraph tests.

Why are Pentagon unit undergoing polygraph tests?

This is portion of a wider probe into suspected leaks of classified accusation astir US weapons stockpiles to journalists aft quality reports emerged successful July that supplies of immoderate captious munitions, peculiarly long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors, were running low. The reports coincided with the US halting attacks connected Iran.

The Trump medication has powerfully denied that it is debased connected weapons, saying it has “massive amounts” of weaponry available.

However, investigators person asked Joint Staff unit undergoing polygraphs whether they provided classified accusation to the quality media, peculiarly astir declining US munitions stocks, according to the NYT.

CBS News reported that the polygraphs covered a scope of nationalist information matters. Two sources told the broadcaster that cipher failed the questions intended to found whether officials had leaked accusation to the media.

The NYT reported that the probe was intended not lone to place imaginable leakers but besides to deter others from disclosing accusation successful the future.

Between 1,500 and 2,000 subject officers and civilian officials enactment for the Joint Staff, which helps coordinate subject operations, argumentation and warfare readying with US combatant commands astir the world.

General Dan Caine, president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was among elder officials who were not tested.

The Pentagon has not publically confirmed details of the polygraph tests. “The Department does not remark connected interior unit oregon investigative matters but takes each leaks of classified nationalist information accusation highly earnestly and investigates accordingly,” main Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said.

Why are the weapons leaks truthful sensitive?

The level of US weapons reserves disposable to its forces stationed successful the Middle East has go an progressively delicate contented arsenic the US continues strikes connected Iran utilizing blase munitions that are hard and time-consuming to replace.

Iran has excelled astatine depleting costly US antiaircraft systems, specified arsenic Patriot missiles, by bombarding US targets successful the Gulf with volley aft volley of cheap, mass-produced Shahed drones.

For the US, accusation suggesting that its supplies are moving debased could springiness adversaries penetration into how agelong Washington tin prolong subject operations and wherever its capabilities whitethorn beryllium nether strain. As good arsenic launching sporadic strikes connected targets successful Iran, the US is maintaining a naval blockade connected Iranian ports successful and astir the captious Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed to postulation successful March.

The president has gone further successful attacking the reporting by quality outlets, calling accounts of dwindling stocks “treasonous statements”. He has pledged that the radical down leaks volition beryllium “hunted down” and warned they could look lengthy situation terms.

Trump has besides sought to reassure Americans that supplies are being replenished. “Additionally, ample amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the US arsenic needed,” helium wrote connected Truth Social past month.

Does the Pentagon person a occupation with leaks?

The polygraph tests are portion of a broader effort by the Trump medication to forestall delicate accusation from leaving the Pentagon.

Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the section has opened aggregate investigations into leaks and taken steps to bounds journalists’ entree to subject officials and information. Current and erstwhile officials person described increasing mistrust wrong the Pentagon, according to the NYT.

Hegseth has besides overseen important changes among the military’s elder ranks. At slightest 80 generals, admirals and different officials person been removed oregon had their promotions blocked during his tenure, the paper reported.

The Pentagon’s run against leaks became much formalised successful July, erstwhile Hegseth created a task unit with the Department of Justice to velocity up investigations into unauthorised disclosures. The Pentagon’s lawyers were besides fixed expanded authorization to get records and question assistance for specified inquiries.

Hegseth said the purpose was to get accusation to national instrumentality enforcement, including the FBI, much rapidly erstwhile suspected leaks occurred.

“Leaked accusation risks lives,” helium said.

The polygraph cognition is abstracted from that process, however. Military investigators carried retired those examinations without FBI involvement, according to the NYT.

At the aforesaid time, Hegseth’s narration with journalists covering the Pentagon has go progressively strained. He has not held a Pentagon quality briefing connected the Iran warfare since May 5 and has introduced restrictions connected journalists’ entree to parts of the building, which the NYT is challenging successful court.

The Pentagon past period besides dismissed the steadfast and editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, the government-funded paper covering the US military.

Hegseth has himself faced scrutiny implicit the handling of delicate subject information. Last year, details astir planned US attacks successful Yemen were shared successful a Signal radical that included a journalist.

When other has the Trump medication utilized prevarication detectors?

The Pentagon’s latest cognition is portion of a past of the Trump administration’s usage of polygraphs successful investigations into suspected leaks.

One of the archetypal examples came soon aft Hegseth took complaint of the Pentagon. In March 2025, his main of unit launched an enquiry into what the section called “unauthorised disclosures of nationalist information information”, with Sky News reporting that employees could beryllium required to instrumentality prevarication detector tests.

The enquiry came aft reporting that Elon Musk was owed to person a classified briefing astir however the US subject would respond to a imaginable struggle with China.

Both Trump and Musk denied the report. Musk dismissed it arsenic “pure propaganda” and called for those liable for providing the accusation to journalists to beryllium prosecuted.

Trump, however, separately acknowledged the imaginable sensitivity of giving Musk entree to accusation concerning China due to the fact that of his concern interests there. “Elon has businesses successful China, and helium would beryllium susceptible, perhaps, to that,” helium said.

Lie detectors person besides been deployed elsewhere successful the administration. In May 2026, FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly had much than 2 twelve existent and erstwhile members of his information item acquisition polygraphs during an probe into leaks from wrong the bureau.

The usage of prevarication detectors is not, by itself, antithetic wrong the US nationalist information system. Its usage connected this standard among elder subject unit is, however.

Officials entrusted with immoderate of the government’s astir delicate secrets tin already look polygraph examinations. That includes unit moving with definite peculiar entree programmes, wherever investigating tin signifier portion of the information procedures surrounding entree to classified material.

But those regular information checks are antithetic from assembling dozens of subject and civilian officials for questioning arsenic investigators effort to found whether accusation has been passed to journalists.

The NYT reported that thing comparable has been carried retired crossed the precocious ranks of the US subject successful modern history.