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Hegseth fires Pentagon's top military planner as officials accuse him of leaking secrets

Anonymous officials say Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia failed polygraph tests, while two Pentagon sources tell CBS News the accusations are not true.

17 news outlets reported this
Liberal6 outletsCenter4 outletsConservative7 outlets
Published 3 min read
Overview

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, who led strategy, plans and policy, known as the J5, on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Outlets reported the removal on Oct. 28 and 29. No replacement has been named.

Sylvia is the second general to lose that post under Hegseth, after Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee was pushed into retirement in October 2025. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said, without naming Sylvia, that an Air Force investigation led to a personnel action and that the matter was referred to the . Anonymous officials told several outlets that Sylvia failed tests about leaking classified information to journalists.

Two Pentagon sources told CBS News the accusations are not true. The firing comes as President Trump weighs new strikes on Iran after the elections, and as outlets count nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other leaders who have left under Hegseth. Outlets differ on how many polygraphs Sylvia failed, on whether he admitted leaking, and on how central he was to Iran war planning.

Three sides of the story

Liberal6 outlets

Left-leaning outlets place the firing inside a wider pattern of departures under Hegseth, while also reporting the leak accusation. The Independent lists earlier removals, including Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and Gen. Randy George, quotes Hegseth's "accountability" defense, and reports Trump has privately voiced concern about the scale. CBS News gives the Pentagon official's account of three failed polygraphs and a Justice Department referral.

It also reports that two other Pentagon sources said the accusations are not true, and that the Joint Staff retracted its praise. The Guardian adds the Reuters-sourced polygraph claim, a colleague's denial relayed through the Washington Post, and background on the leak task force and press-access rules. ABC News reports, citing two sources, that Sylvia was removed over a lack of confidence and has retired, and that it was unclear whether Hegseth or Gen. Dan Caine ordered it.

Center4 outlets

Centrist outlets mix the personnel story with the Iran war context. Axios leads with an internal investigation report, which it says shows Sylvia admitted leaking Iran and Ukraine information to two reporters, including once at a diner. It adds a US official's claim of four failed polygraphs and a dispute with an Army official over the Joint Staff's retracted statement.

Straight Arrow News relays CBS's account, says the allegations are not independently verified, and ties the firing to Trump weighing strikes and a Vance outreach to Iran. UPI frames it as the latest exit in a sweeping overhaul, citing CNN and ABC, with the Driscoll resignation and Sen. Thom Tillis's criticism as background. The Hill reports, citing sources, that Hegseth ousted Sylvia.

Conservative7 outlets

Right-leaning outlets center on the Department of War official's account. Daily Caller, Fox News and Daily Wire report that Sylvia was fired for "severe misconduct," failed three polygraphs, met journalists outside the Pentagon after escort rules began, and is under Justice Department referral. They carry the official's statement that Sylvia did not hold the central planning role for the Iran war, a job they say belongs to CENTCOM's Adm. Cooper.

They quote Parnell's warning to leakers. Fox adds The Atlantic's report of lost confidence amid tensions with Elbridge Colby and Trump's remark about "big problems." Daily Caller notes earlier officials fired over leaks were never charged.

The New York Post, running AP text, reports that no reason was given at first, the Iran strike context, and Sen. Mark Kelly's "purge" criticism.

Where outlets disagree
  • How many polygraph tests Sylvia failed
    • Axios: A US official said he failed four polygraph tests.
    • CBS News: A Pentagon official said he failed three polygraph tests.
  • Whether Sylvia admitted leaking classified information
    • Axios: An internal report and a US official say he admitted leaking, including on video.
    • The Guardian (US): A colleague told the Washington Post he consistently rejected the accusations.
  • Sylvia's role in Iran war planning
    • CBS News: CBS reports he was coordinating the Iran battle plan.
    • Fox News: A Department of War official said he was not a central planner of the Iran war.
All sources: 21 articles from 17 outlets

Liberal (8)

Center (5)

Conservative (8)

Justice Department

The federal ministry that prosecutes federal crimes. The FBI is part of it, and its head is the Attorney General.

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Polygraph (lie detector)

A machine that records pulse, breathing and sweating while a person answers questions. Its results are not reliable enough for most US courts, but security agencies use it in hiring and leak investigations.

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Midterm elections

US elections halfway through a president's four-year term. The whole House, a third of the Senate and many governors are elected. In 2026 Election Day is November 3.

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