US Defense Secretary Joe Kasper officially resigned from his post

Washington, DC: The Washington Post reported Thursday that Joe Kasper, the chief of staff to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has resigned from his post.

Kasper said he was leaving voluntarily and will go into a unique government employee position as a part-time adviser, concentrating on industry, research, and technology. He may work up to 130 days a year in a government capacity, while the details of his new duties and formal title are yet unknown.

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Hegseth seemed to hint at the prospect of the transfer, which Kasper had been considering with colleagues for weeks. He claimed that Kasper is a “great American” and that he was “certainly not fired,” according to The Washington Post.

There have reportedly been conflicts between Kasper and other high-ranking officials on Hegseth’s staff, which is why he left. These internal conflicts have sparked worries about the Pentagon’s present leadership style.

According to a recent New York Times article, Hegseth communicated confidential information about the intended attack in Yemen on March 15 with his brother, wife, and personal attorney.

Through a secret Signal group communication on his personal phone, Hegseth disclosed critical information about a planned military action targeting the Houthis in Yemen, CNN claimed, citing three sources.

According to two sources, the chat was first established during Hegseth’s confirmation hearings in order to plan with his closest supporters. After confirmation, however, he kept using it to stay in touch with a group of more than a dozen individuals.

The second Signal communication follows the one Hegseth used to discuss military intentions with Cabinet members last month. The acting inspector general of the Defense Department is looking into that discussion.

Acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins informed Hegseth earlier this month of an impending review in response to a request from the Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman and Ranking Member.

Stebbins had informed the public that Hegseth had used an “unclassified commercial messaging application” to discuss military operations in Yemen in March, prompting the assessment.

According to The Atlantic, Hegseth, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were among the top Trump administration officials who exchanged information about an impending military attack on Yemen in a leaked Signal chat.

There were significant operational security issues raised by the emails, which were accidentally sent to Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.