NBC News: White House can't find qualified people willing to work for Hegseth
The White House is looking for a new chief of staff and several senior advisers for Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth after a series of missteps, but has yet to find suitable candidates, NBC News reported, citing four current and former administration officials and a Republican congressional aide.
The media writes that senior positions in the Pentagon, including the post of chief of staff, are usually considered prestigious and attract many qualified candidates. The interlocutors noted that at least three people have already turned down potential positions under Hegseth.
US Vice President J.D. Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles have expressed interest in finding ways to help Hegseth after he abruptly fired two senior aides in April, accusing them of leaking classified information.
Shortly thereafter, the Pentagon chief announced the firing of his chief of staff, and a senior spokesman resigned, writing later that "complete chaos" reigned in Hegseth's office.
Three people familiar with the matter said that Vance and Wiles have been looking for candidates ever since. But the administration has had little success so far in finding people who are willing to work for Hegseth or who meet his political requirements. The White House has rejected some of the people Hegseth wanted to hire, while the defense secretary has rejected some of the White House’s nominees.
The sources said Vance and Wiles were looking for candidates in some traditional venues, including the White House and Capitol Hill. Some candidates were deemed politically problematic, they added.
For example, the White House Human Resources Department disqualified some candidates for not being sufficiently loyal to MAGA.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hegseth's allies have dismissed rumors of internal strife and said he is a very effective defense secretary.
- On April 21, 2025, it was reported that Hegseth shared details of the March US attack on Yemen's Houthis in a Signal group chat that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.
- Hegseth responded by criticizing the media and the people who provided this information to journalists.
- The White House also denied that it was looking for a replacement for Hegseth as Pentagon chief. Before that, the senator demanded the Pentagon chief's resignation amid the leak and stated that he threatened US national security.
