Dan Caldwell, who previously served as a senior adviser to U.
S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has firmly denied allegations of leaking classified information to the media.
In a recent interview, Caldwell suggested that he might have been targeted by adversaries within the Pentagon who oppose Hegseths foreign policy stance.
During a conversation with Tucker Carlson, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and former Fox News host, the issue of leaking classified information was directly addressed. Carlson inquired, I just want to be totally direct with you. Did you leak classified information against the wishes of your superiors to media outlets? Caldwell responded unequivocally, Absolutely not. He further refuted claims of sending photos of classified material to an NBC reporter, asserting that he had not even spoken to an NBC reporter while at the Pentagon.
As reported by Mediaite, Caldwell expressed uncertainty about the specific accusations against him, stating, Theres a lot of evidence that there is not a real investigation. He also confirmed to Carlson that he had neither been subjected to a polygraph test nor asked to surrender his electronic devices to the Department of Defense.
Carlson highlighted the peculiarity of the situation, noting, Youre being accused of leaking classified information, but the people accusing you would have no way of knowing whether you did that or not because they havent polygraphed you or taken your devices, your private devices.
Caldwell suggested that the leaks might have originated from individuals within the Pentagon who are opposed to the foreign policy approaches of President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary Hegseth, particularly those advocating for military action against Iran. Reflecting on his dismissal and subsequent removal from the Pentagon, Caldwell shared, Sometimes I feel like it hasnt fully set in because it does feel like a dream. Its like, when am I gonna wake up?
The personal toll of the situation on Caldwell and his family has been significant. He described the experience as awful, elaborating, The impact on my family Its been devastating and its caused a lot of stress to my family. Despite his personal turmoil, Caldwell emphasized the importance of Secretary Hegseths success, stating, Pete Hegseth needs to be a successful secretary of defense, and the entire Department of Defense cannot be, continue to be, consumed by chaos.
In closing, Caldwell expressed gratitude to Carlson for his efforts in preventing potential conflict with Iran. Tucker, its been an honor to be here, and I just want to say I think you should feel proud because you have played a key role in helping stop some really bad stuff in foreign policy, he remarked. Your platform has really helped turn the tide, I think, in a lot of different ways and I think you deserve a lot of credit.
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