Pentagon chief of staff Joe Kasper to step down amid Signal war chat controversy, says US official

Joe Kasper, chief of staff under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is departing his role but will remain as a Special Government Employee. This follows several other departures from senior Pentagon positions amidst a leak investigation and accusations of slander. Hegseth is also facing scrutiny for reportedly discussing Yemen strikes via Signal, though the White House has expressed its support.

The US department of defense chief of staff under defense secretary Pete Hegseth will depart his role, according to a senior defence official's announcement on Thursday."Joe Kasper will continue to serve President Trump as a Special Government Employee (SGE) handling special projects at the Department of Defense," the official confirmed, as quoted by AFP, further adding, "Secretary Hegseth is thankful for his continued leadership and work to advance the America First agenda."This exit follows several notable departures from senior Pentagon positions, including three officials dismissed last week during a leak investigation after alleged conflicts with Kasper.Former advisors Darin Selnick, Dan Caldwell and Colin Carroll had responded on Sunday, stating that Pentagon officials had "slandered our character with baseless attacks." They released a joint social media statement expressing uncertainty about the investigation's specifics and status.

Former Pentagon press secretary John Ullyot criticised Hegseth in a Sunday opinion article, describing recent Pentagon turmoil and questioning Hegseth's future tenure, given President Trump's history of holding officials accountable.These changes come while Hegseth is in middle of a controversy regarding his reported usage of Signal messaging app to discuss Yemen strikes with his spouse and non-standard participants.Despite recent revelations about Hegseth sharing Yemen strike details in a Signal chat that accidentally included a journalist, the White House maintained its support. Recently, it dismissed prominent reports that the defense secretary might be replaced.Read more: Is Trump administration planning to replace Pete Hegseth as Pentagon chief? White House responds

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