Joe Kasper, who served as the chief of staff under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is stepping down from his current position but will continue to work as a Special Government Employee. This development comes in the midst of a series of high-profile departures from senior Pentagon roles amid an investigation into leaks and allegations of defamation. Hegseth is also under fire for allegedly discussing Yemen strikes through the encrypted messaging app Signal. Despite the controversies surrounding him, the White House has reaffirmed its backing of Hegseth.