Politico reports:

The circle of top advisers in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s orbit has shrunk in recent days to little more than his wife, lawyer, and two lower-level officials — leaving the Pentagon’s lead office without longtime expertise or clear direction.

Hegseth’s decision to fire three senior aides last week and reassign his chief of staff has blown a hole in his leadership team, severing essential lines of communication across the department and leading to fears about dangerous slip-ups such as weapons program delays.

The wholesale turnover just 100 days into Hegseth’s tenure has been remarkable for its speed. And it has left the first-time government official without trusted staff who understand Washington — just as he faces fallout from a series of scandals that have led to rampant speculation inside the building about how long he’ll keep his job.

“It’s a free-for-all,” said one person familiar with the office dynamics, who was granted anonymity to talk candidly about the situation.

Memos and actions that would have been routine in the past are getting delayed, the person said. Hegseth’s office is “up to its eyes” in what it can handle, with a parade of people flowing through the Pentagon chief’s third floor suite and no control over who is coming and going. [Continue reading…]