The instability Hegseth is accused of bringing to the Pentagon is also said to be a factor in his failure to inform the White House that he’d stopped Ukraine’s arms shipment: He has no chief of staff, is having a hard time finding one, and lacks senior advisers who might have been able to prevent the fiasco.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly authorized a pause in weapons shipments to Ukraine without informing the White House, according to multiple sources. The move surprised US officials, including US President Donald Trump,