A feud between the secretary's advisers and his chief of staff created backbiting and distrust that has erupted into the open.

"Disgruntled former employees are peddling things to try to save their ass, and ultimately, that's not going to work," Hegseth said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Tuesday of possible prosecutions of former senior advisors who were fired during a probe into leaks of Pentagon information to the media, saying evidence would be handed over to the Department of Justice once the investigation is completed.