What the Pentagon’s Sweeping Polygraph Hunt Has Revealed

U.S.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth waits before welcoming Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Richard Marles to the Pentagon September 2, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia —Win McNamee—Getty Images Pentagon investigators administered polygraph tests to dozens of military officers and civilian employees in August as part of an investigation into disclosures about the nation’s dwindling weapons stockpiles .

The polygraph tests, first reported by The New York Times last week, followed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement in July that the Pentagon was forming a joint task force with the Department of Justice to identify and prosecute what he called the “unauthorized disclosure ​of sensitive” information to the press.

Read More: Trump Vows to Jail ‘Leakers’ Over Reports of Munitions Shortage Amid Iran Talks Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to TIME that the Pentagon does not comment on investigative matters but “takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly.” “Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world,” the statement said.

The August interrogations included some 50 members of the Joint Staff, according to the Times .

CBS News also reported that several dozen officials were tested earlier this summer, including those from the U.S.

Central Command.

Why did the Pentagon polygraph dozens of officials? Sources familiar with the matter told multiple outlets this summer that U.S. supplies of certain critical munitions—including long-range precision-guided missiles and air-defense interceptors—had fallen dangerously low.

They suggested that its inventory would likely dwindle further amid the ongoing war with Iran.

Sources told The Washington Post that Trump clashed with Hegseth over the matter during a visit to Camp David on July 31, claiming that he had been “misled on extreme munitions shortages that now threaten to limit military options with Iran.” Trump refuted the idea that there were any shortages in a Truth Social post on Aug.

6.

“The U.S. has massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types,” Trump wrote in his post.

“Additionally, large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed.” The President called for lengthy imprisonment for those caught leaking information to the press.

“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down,” he added.