'Tale of two Petes': Dismissed adviser portrays Pentagon leader as obsessed with image
Colin Carroll remarked that the Defense secretary was concentrating on uncovering leakers and demonstrating his competence.
TroibNews 
A former senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has characterized the Pentagon's leadership as being gripped by paranoia and more preoccupied with public appearances than effective management. Colin Carroll, who was recently dismissed from his role as the chief of staff to the deputy defense secretary, shared his perspective during an appearance on the Megyn Kelly podcast, noting that Hegseth was overly fixated on investigating leaks, which he believes impaired the focus on essential defense priorities.
“He was very focused on the leaks, and I think it kind of consumed the team a little bit,” Carroll remarked, adding that his termination coincided with a leak investigation. “If you look at a pie chart of the secretary’s day, at this point, 50 percent of it is probably a leak investigation.”
Carroll’s firing followed a significant conflict among Hegseth's senior advisers, which included Joe Kasper, Hegseth’s former chief of staff. The leak investigation also led to the dismissal of Hegseth’s senior adviser, Dan Caldwell, and deputy chief of staff, Darin Selnick. Kasper departed from the department the previous week.
Carroll painted a picture of Hegseth as someone keen on projecting an image of competence and control. His team often records his early morning workouts with troops, a move Carroll described as an effort to counter the narrative of Hegseth being undisciplined and a heavy drinker—claims denied by Hegseth during his confirmation hearing.
“In order to combat that image, it’s ‘hey, I’m gonna go work out with the troops,’” Carroll said. “While that is important — and it’s a thing to do to get out there and helps recruiting and helps morale — if you’re taking a half day trip to the Naval Academy at the same time the budget is due, and we really need some support here … come on, you gotta weigh priorities.”
In response, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell highlighted various accomplishments, including an increased number of troops deployed to the southern border, ongoing military actions against the Houthis in Yemen, and contract cancellations by DOGE, to illustrate progress. “Secretary Hegseth has delivered more change to the DOD in 100 days than most secretaries have in four years," he stated. “While the media focuses on gossip, we’re focused on results.”
Carroll referred to a “tale of two Pete’s” in Hegseth’s demeanor, describing him as a straightforward leader capable of convincing skeptical Republicans to increase defense spending while also being consumed by “weird details” that could lead to agitation in meetings.
He mentioned that Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg had assured him he wouldn’t be dismissed even after others were suspended, expressing his desire to return to the DOD to work alongside Feinberg.
Following the departure of several of his top aides, Hegseth has turned to a smaller group for support, which now includes his wife, his personal lawyer, and a former junior military aide.
On Thursday, the Defense Department announced three new advisers for Hegseth: Col. Ricky Buria, the former military aide; Justin Fulcher, a tech entrepreneur and DOGE adviser; and Patrick Weaver, who previously worked on Capitol Hill and in the Department of Homeland Security during President Donald Trump’s initial term, though he lacks Pentagon experience.
In a recent interview with The Atlantic, Trump indicated he is closely monitoring the dynamics within Hegseth's team, stating, “He’s gonna get it together. I had a talk with him, a positive talk, but I had a talk with him.”
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
“He was very focused on the leaks, and I think it kind of consumed the team a little bit,” Carroll remarked, adding that his termination coincided with a leak investigation. “If you look at a pie chart of the secretary’s day, at this point, 50 percent of it is probably a leak investigation.”
Carroll’s firing followed a significant conflict among Hegseth's senior advisers, which included Joe Kasper, Hegseth’s former chief of staff. The leak investigation also led to the dismissal of Hegseth’s senior adviser, Dan Caldwell, and deputy chief of staff, Darin Selnick. Kasper departed from the department the previous week.
Carroll painted a picture of Hegseth as someone keen on projecting an image of competence and control. His team often records his early morning workouts with troops, a move Carroll described as an effort to counter the narrative of Hegseth being undisciplined and a heavy drinker—claims denied by Hegseth during his confirmation hearing.
“In order to combat that image, it’s ‘hey, I’m gonna go work out with the troops,’” Carroll said. “While that is important — and it’s a thing to do to get out there and helps recruiting and helps morale — if you’re taking a half day trip to the Naval Academy at the same time the budget is due, and we really need some support here … come on, you gotta weigh priorities.”
In response, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell highlighted various accomplishments, including an increased number of troops deployed to the southern border, ongoing military actions against the Houthis in Yemen, and contract cancellations by DOGE, to illustrate progress. “Secretary Hegseth has delivered more change to the DOD in 100 days than most secretaries have in four years," he stated. “While the media focuses on gossip, we’re focused on results.”
Carroll referred to a “tale of two Pete’s” in Hegseth’s demeanor, describing him as a straightforward leader capable of convincing skeptical Republicans to increase defense spending while also being consumed by “weird details” that could lead to agitation in meetings.
He mentioned that Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg had assured him he wouldn’t be dismissed even after others were suspended, expressing his desire to return to the DOD to work alongside Feinberg.
Following the departure of several of his top aides, Hegseth has turned to a smaller group for support, which now includes his wife, his personal lawyer, and a former junior military aide.
On Thursday, the Defense Department announced three new advisers for Hegseth: Col. Ricky Buria, the former military aide; Justin Fulcher, a tech entrepreneur and DOGE adviser; and Patrick Weaver, who previously worked on Capitol Hill and in the Department of Homeland Security during President Donald Trump’s initial term, though he lacks Pentagon experience.
In a recent interview with The Atlantic, Trump indicated he is closely monitoring the dynamics within Hegseth's team, stating, “He’s gonna get it together. I had a talk with him, a positive talk, but I had a talk with him.”
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
