Controversial Hegseth Chief Of Staff To Leave Pentagon

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s controversial chief of staff, who played a central role in a power struggle that gripped the Pentagon, will exit the agency today.

Joe Kasper was originally expected to transition to another role within the Defense Department, but is now planning to go back to government relations and consulting, he said in an interview.

He will continue to support and advise the Pentagon, he said, but as a special government employee. This will limit him to performing temporary jobs for just 130 days a year.

A former longtime chief of staff to indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter, Kasper was a leading figure in the firings of senior adviser Dan Caldwell, Hegseth deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg. The trio were ousted last week in a leak investigation.

Some officials saw the wave of firings as a bid by Kasper to consolidate power.

“Kasper did not like that those guys had the secretary’s ear,” a person familiar with the dynamic said. “He did not like that they had walk-in and hanging-out privileges in the office. He wanted them out. It was a knife fight.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hegseth confirmed Tuesday on Fox & Friends that Kasper would move into a different role at the Pentagon. But he insisted that his top aide had not been fired and reaffirmed support for him.

“Joe is a great guy, great American,” Hegseth said. “He has done a fantastic job for us at the Defense Department…You make changes over time, and we’re grateful for everything Joe’s done.”