President Trump lashes out over dismissal of Pentagon strategist amid leak hunt
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President Donald Trump blasted the fired Pentagon strategist as someone with “problems” after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia amid allegations tied to leaks, polygraph failures, and a widening purge of senior officers.
President Donald Trump spoke about the removal of Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon’s chief strategist, on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base, framing the firing as part of a broader crackdown on dissent and leaks inside the national security bureaucracy. When asked about the dismissal, the president said, "She’s got problems. She’s gonna have big problems. We’re very much looking for leakers," referring to Sylvia with a feminine pronoun.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Sylvia’s dismissal on Wednesday, in yet another abrupt move that has fueled concern about the administration’s escalating personnel shake-up. According to a Defense Department source cited by Fox News, Sylvia failed three polygraph tests related to alleged leaks and was accused of meeting journalists despite media contact restrictions. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is examining the allegations.
Sylvia had served as the director of strategy, plans and policy (J5) for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a role that coordinates major military plans with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the president. No immediate replacement has been named, and the Pentagon has not provided any explanation for the sudden termination.
A Joint Staff spokesperson expressed gratitude for Sylvia’s 32 years of service, stating that the chairman, the Joint Staff, and the Joint Force wish him and his family the best. Sylvia’s Pentagon biography has been removed from the website.
The removal follows the earlier ouster of Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, who was forced into retirement last October, and comes as Defense Secretary Hegseth has ordered a 20% reduction in flag and general officer positions by January 2027. Lawmakers, including Senator Mark Kelly, have criticized the pace of senior-level personnel changes, warning that the sweeping purge could damage institutional stability and oversight.