logo
Senior Pentagon adviser, who alleged colleague called the cops on him, fired by Pete Hegseth

Senior Pentagon adviser, who alleged colleague called the cops on him, fired by Pete Hegseth

Independent3 days ago
A senior Pentagon staffer and adviser to Pete Hegseth has been ousted, marking at least the sixth person under the Defense Secretary to quit within his first six months in office, according to reports.
Justin Fulcher, who recently made headlines after accusing a colleague of calling the Pentagon police on him, will no longer serve as a senior adviser to Hegseth, three sources told CBS News Saturday.
Fulcher began at the Defense Department working under Elon Musk's DOGE before he was promoted in April to serve as a senior adviser to Hegseth, the Washington Post reported.
At the time, Fulcher, along with several other aides to Hegseth, joined a new Defense Department leadership team created in the wake of Signalgate, where top officials gave The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg a front-row seat as they discussed impending strikes on Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
Fulcher made headlines earlier this month, after a Washington Post report revealed he allegedly stormed out of a meeting and complained to his boss, Hegseth, that Yinon Weiss, Elon Musk's pick to lead DOGE, had reported him to the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
Since January, at least six of Hegseth's top advisers have left the department, according to the Post. The former Fox News personality entered the role with little prior experience and has drawn criticism for his early missteps.
Meanwhile, Fulcher, who previously ran a telehealth startup that went bankrupt, seemingly overstated his credentials before he was hired to work at DOGE, including claiming a doctorate in international relations and affairs from Johns Hopkins, according to a Forbes report from earlier this year.
In a statement to the Post, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said it was 'not fair' to characterize Fulcher's departure as a firing and called him a 'great guy.'
The Defense Department released a statement on behalf of Fulcher that read: "As planned, I've completed 6 months of service in government to my country. Working alongside the dedicated men and women of the Department of Defense has been incredibly inspiring.
"Revitalizing the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military, and reestablishing deterrence are just some of the historic accomplishments I'm proud to have witnessed. Still, this is just the beginning.
"None of this could have happened without Secretary Hegseth's decisive leadership or President Trump's continued confidence in our team.
"I'm grateful to both, and to the extraordinary civilians and service members who turn vision into action every day.
"I will continue to champion American warfighters in all future endeavors and remain impressed by the work of the Department of Defense."
In a text message to the Post, Fulcher reiterated that his departure was 'perfectly amicable' and that he had only planned to work there for six months.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

MAGA turns its fury on CIA Director John Ratcliffe
MAGA turns its fury on CIA Director John Ratcliffe

Daily Mail​

time3 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

MAGA turns its fury on CIA Director John Ratcliffe

President Donald Trump's MAGA supporters have a new target for their fury: his CIA director John Ratcliffe. And it's all because of Barack Obama. Ratcliffe, who served as the director of the Office of National Intelligence (ODNI) in Trump's first administration, is one of the president's most loyal supporters. But now MAGA supporters are asking why he didn't originally declassify the documents tied to the investigation of Russia's role in the 2016 election that were released last week. Criticism arose after Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's current intel chief, released a report that accused Obama of being behind a 'treasonous conspiracy' to allege Russia interfered in the 2020 election on Trump's behalf. Now MAGA supporters are furious that this did not come to light earlier. 'Wait! The current CIA director John Ratcliffe had the position of ODNI in the first Trump administration. Why didn't he declassify the documents proving the Russian collusion corruption by the Obama cabal that Tulsi Gabbard has now made public?,' Trump loyalist Roger Stone wrote on X. The CIA did not immediately respond to Daily Mail's request for comment. But in Trump's first term, Ratcliffe did release some documents tied to the Russia investigation, including a CIA memo that revealed Hillary Clinton had approved a plan to publicly tie Trump to the country's hack of the Democratic National Committee. At that time, Trump was running against Joe Biden for a second term in the White House - a contest he would ultimately lose. His campaign seized upon Ratcliffe's move as new evidence that Clinton was in a scheme to discredit Trump, who refers to the matter as the 'Russia hoax.' Additionally, in this Trump term, Ratcliffe and Gabbard have declassified information to allege Obama administration officials manipulated intelligence and conspired to undermine the legitimacy of Trump's win in 2016. And, earlier this month Ratcliffe released an internal CIA review of its Russia investigation, which found the agency failed in some cases to follow standard procedures. Ratcliffe, a longtime Trump loyalist, argued the review showed that Democratic appointees who led the agency at the time 'manipulated intelligence and silenced career professionals — all to get Trump.' Gabbard added fuel to the fire on Friday when she released a 114-page document that she says shows the Obama administration was aware that there was no threat of Russia 'directly' manipulating the vote in 2016. 'Their goal was to subvert the will of the American people and enact what was essentially a years-long coup with the objective of trying to usurp the President from fulfilling the mandate bestowed upon him by the American people,' Gabbard said in a statement. She called for an investigation into and potential criminal prosecution of anyone who took part – which may include Obama and James Comey, the former FBI director. Obama fired back at the 'bizarre allegations' coming from Trump. His office dismissed the claims as another example of the constant 'nonsense and misinformation' that emanates out of the White House. 'Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes,' his post-presidency office said in a statement. The documents revealed insider discussions among top Obama officials about Russia 's much-debated role in the 2016 U.S. elections. Trump latched on to them and issued an extraordinary call to investigate the former president – accusing his predecessor of 'treason.' 'After what they did to me, whether it's right or wrong, it's time to go after people,' Trump said in the Oval Office on Tuesday. President Trump accused his Democratic rivals of organizing a failed 'coup' in 2016, when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton and captured the White House . 'They tried to rig the election and they got caught and there should be really severe consequences,' he said. Trump has long argued that the FBI counterintelligence probe that began during the 2016 election was the start of a 'coup' to prevent him from taking office. But a bipartisan Senate investigation in 2020 found that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. One of the leaders of that probe was Marco Rubio, who was a senator on the intelligence committee at the time and now serves as Trump's secretary of state.

Harvard under investigation over participation in visa program for foreign students and researchers
Harvard under investigation over participation in visa program for foreign students and researchers

The Independent

time3 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Harvard under investigation over participation in visa program for foreign students and researchers

In the latest in series of Trump administration inquiries targeting Harvard University, the State Department said Wednesday it is investigating whether the Ivy League school will remain part of a government program that provides American visas for students and researchers from other countries. Harvard has faced mounting sanctions and scrutiny from Washington since rejecting demands from a federal antisemitism task force in April. Harvard has filed a lawsuit challenging $2.6 billion in federal cuts and has accused the Republican administration of waging a retaliation campaign. The statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not say why his department was examining Harvard's eligibility to take part in the Exchange Visitor Program, which allows foreign nationals to study or work in the United States through cultural and education exchange programs. It said all sponsors, such as Harvard, 'are required to fully comply with exchange visitor regulations, transparency in reporting, and a demonstrated commitment to fostering the principles of cultural exchange and mutual understanding upon which the program was founded.' A spokesman for Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The department said the investigation will seek to ensure that its programs "do not run contrary to our nation's interests.' The administration also has tried several times to prevent the school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from hosting foreign students, and President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status. Last month, his administration issued a finding that Harvard tolerated antisemitism, a step that could jeopardize all of Harvard's federal funding, including student loans or grants. The penalty is typically referred to as a 'death sentence.' Harvard's president, Alan Garber, has said the university has made changes to combat antisemitism and will not submit to the administration's demands. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at

US home sales fade in June as prices soar to record levels
US home sales fade in June as prices soar to record levels

The Independent

time3 minutes ago

  • The Independent

US home sales fade in June as prices soar to record levels

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slid in June to the slowest pace since last September as mortgage rates remained elevated and national median sales prices hit unprecedented levels. Existing home sales fell 2.7% last month from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.93 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. Sales were flat compared with June last year. The latest home sales fell short of the 4.01 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet. Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 24th consecutive month. The national median sales price rose 2% in June from a year earlier to $435,300, an all-time high. The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since early 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Home sales fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. Sluggish home sales led to a lackluster spring homebuying season, traditionally the busiest period of the year for the housing market. Stubbornly high mortgage rates and rising prices have intensified the hardships for would-be homebuyers who had already been pummeled by a real estate market that overheated during the pandemic. And while the number of homes on the market has increased sharply from a year ago, it remains well below normal levels, meaning prices continue to rise even as sales slow. 'The second half of the year really depends on what happens with mortgage rates,' said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. High mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting their purchasing power. So far this year, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage has remained relatively close to 7%, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. Homes purchased last month likely went under contract in May and June, when the average rate on a 30-year mortgage ranged from 6.76% to 6.89%. Yun estimates that if the average rate on a 30-year mortgage were to fall to 6% that would lead to an additional roughly half-million more homes sold. 'If the mortgage rate remains stuck at this level, we are essentially looking at very small changes in our home sales and home price condition, but if the mortgage rate was to drop, we know there will be a more meaningful increase in sales,' he said. The housing market's affordability crunch is keeping many aspiring first-time homebuyers on the sidelines. They accounted for 30% of homes sales last month, unchanged from May, NAR said. Historically, they made up 40% of home sales. Home shoppers who can afford to buy at current mortgage rates or pay in cash are benefiting from more properties on the market. There were 1.53 million unsold homes at the end of last month, down 0.6% from May, but up nearly 16% from June last year, NAR said. That's still well below the roughly 2 million homes for sale that was typical before the pandemic, however. June's month-end inventory translates to a 4.7-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 4.6-month pace at the end of May and 4 months in June last year. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers. Homes for sale are staying on the market longer as sales remain in the doldrums. Properties typically remained on the market for 27 days last month before selling, up from 22 days in June last year, NAR said. The housing market slowdown isn't all bad, if you're a home shopper who can afford to buy. In June, some 20.7% of homes listed for sale had their price reduced, the highest share for the month of June going back to at least 2016, according to Increasingly, however, many sellers are opting to pull their home off the market rather than lower prices. The number of properties taken off the market without having sold jumped 47% in May from a year earlier, according to

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store