A "rattled" Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shouted at a now-former aide in a profane attack inside the Pentagon as he hunted for leakers, according to a new report.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing two sources familiar with the exchange, that Hegseth shouted at Adm. Christopher Grady, then-acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“I’ll hook you up to a f——g polygraph!” he yelled, according to the report.
ALSO READ: 'Alarming': Small colleges bullied into silence as Trump poses 'existential threat'
The confrontation came amid revelations he planned a classified briefing for tech billionaire Elon Musk, head of President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency.
Hegseth demanded that Grady prove he wasn't the source of the information, which leaked to media outlets. Grady didn't take the test, however, and Hegseth made similar accusations against other people, according to the report.
The Joint Staff declined to comment to the Journal about the reported exchange. The Pentagon didn’t respond to the outlet's request for comment.
Hegseth has faced intense scrutiny in recent weeks, mainly over his handling of sensitive information via Signal group chats and escalating internal strife at the Pentagon. The scandals have resulted in staff dismissals and divided the GOP, as he faced growing calls for accountability and doubt over his longevity as secretary of Defense.