Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has spent plenty of time in the media hot seat, though things have been relatively quiet as of late.

However, according to reports, that seems to have changed significantly this week as Hegseth faces accusations that his attorney used illegal wiretapping methods to obtain dirt on several now-fired Pentagon staffers.

Hegseth's attorney, Tim Parlatore, "was recently tasked with overseeing an investigation into a series of leaks at the Pentagon, particularly the leak of a top-secret document that detailed options for the US military to reclaim the Panama Canal."

Advisors at the White House were reportedly "alarmed" after it was revealed "claimed an illegal warrantless National Security Agency (NSA) wiretap was used to find classified documents on the phone of Hegseth's then-advisor, Dan Caldwell."

What's going on?

The wiretaps were reporteldy used to ultimately terminate Caldwell.

Others fired at the same time included deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and the deputy defense secretary's chief of staff, Colin Carroll.

The situation has reportedly caused a rift between the Pentagon and the White House, even resulting in Parlatore being removed from the investigation.

Parlatore was replaced by Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg.

NEW: The White House has lost confidence in a Pentagon leak investigation that Pete Hegseth used to justify firing three top aides last month, after advisers were told the aides had supposedly been outed by a warrantless NSA wiretap @guardian exclusive https://t.co/JYQtnVOMnY

— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) May 27, 2025

A follow-up tweet read:

Trump advisers found the crazy claim to be untrue and complained that they were being fed dubious information by Hegseth’s personal lawyer, Tim Parlatore, who had been tasked with overseeing the investigation — fueling a breakdown in trust between the Pentagon and WH.

Social media reacts

Users across social media had plenty to say about the situation, with Hegseth being both defended by his supporters and attacked by his critics.

"This is so messy! Three firings, a lying lawyer, a warrantless wiretap, warring departments, staff shortages, a pissed White House, “no comments”. Pete Hegseth is just as horrible as we imagine, but Trump will never fire anyone who makes him look good. The press need to be reporting this story on the tv that he watches all day!" one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "A breakdown in trust? NSA conducting warrantless wiretaps? That’s not a trust issue. That’s a crime."

Only time will tell if this develops into something bad for Hegseth.