John Ullyot, a former top spokesman at the Defense Department, published an op-ed in which he criticized Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and suggested that President Donald Trump may remove him due to recent turmoil at the Pentagon. Ullyot mentioned leaked texts about airstrikes in Yemen and the abrupt firings of top officials, which he described as chaos and dysfunction. He also noted the recent firings of several senior aides to Hegseth, including his chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, senior adviser, and the chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense. These officials denied accusations of leaking sensitive information and claimed they were fired unfairly.
Even though Ullyot described himself as loyal to Hegseth, he acknowledged unforced errors by his former boss and described the situation at the Pentagon as a “full-blown meltdown.” He mentioned that some Defense Department officials tried to anonymously smear the fired aides, but he insisted that their actions were not true. Ullyot revealed that he was not part of the recent purge and chose to leave the Pentagon when he turned down a position offered by Hegseth.
The op-ed was published shortly after The New York Times reported that Hegseth used his personal phone to share information about military operations in Yemen with a group chat that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. Additionally, two sources confirmed this reporting to NBC News. Ullyot’s critical op-ed highlighted the ongoing turmoil and potential problems within the administration, suggesting that Hegseth’s position as Secretary of Defense may be at risk.
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