Wagner Weighs In on Leadership Departures in Defense Secretary Hegseth’s Office in Politico Article

May 3, 2025

Politico

Alex Wagner

Maxwell in Washington, D.C.

Defense & Security

Federal

U.S. National Security

United States

Politico

Alex Wagner

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's office is in disarray after he abruptly fired several senior aides and reassigned key staff, leaving him with a skeleton team largely composed of personal allies and family members.

The leadership vacuum has disrupted Pentagon operations, delayed critical decisions like weapons programs and budget planning, and sparked concerns among defense officials about the department's direction and effectiveness.

“The uniformed military—from junior enlisted to four star generals—see right through these clowns, from their backstabbing and their inexperience to their cavalier treatment of highly classified information and their bungling policy rollouts,” says Alex Wagner, adjunct professor in Maxwell's Washington programs and former assistant Air Force secretary for manpower and reserve affairs during the Biden administration.

“I can’t imagine how I would be able to get anything enduring accomplished alongside the uniformed military if my colleagues saw me and my fellow appointees, including the secretary, as a punchline,” he says.

Read more in the Politico article, “Pentagon leadership vacuum overwhelms Hegseth’s office: ‘It’s a free-for-all’.”