Latest news with #YinonWeiss
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Hegseth raged at DOGE official who was accused of calling the police to the Pentagon, report says
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at a senior Department of Government Efficiency official who allegedly called the Pentagon police on a subordinate after a confrontation, according to a new report. The reprimand allegedly took place after a tense one-on-one meeting on April 4 between Yinon Weiss, Elon Musk's pick to lead DOGE at the Defense Department, and Justin Fulcher, another official at the advisory body, three sources told the Washington Post. It came at a tumultuous time for the defense secretary, who was dealing with the fallout from 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 in March. After storming out of the meeting, Fulcher allegedly went to Hegseth's office and complained that he believed Weiss had reported him to the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. Weiss's alleged actions angered the defense secretary, the sources said. It's not clear what caused the argument between Weiss and Fulcher. At times raising his voice, the sources added that an irate Hegseth demanded that Weiss, who departed DOGE last week, explain why he believed he possessed the authority to evict someone from government property. Weiss attempted to explain to Hegseth that he had not contacted the Pentagon police but another government official, two people familiar with their argument said. One source claimed that Weiss contacted the Pentagon transition office that assists newly arriving political appointees. In a text message to The Post, Fulcher said that he believed no police were called, nor did he see any law enforcement officers. 'There was one person who was making claims that he was going to call PFPA (Pentagon Force Protection Agency) – that was clear,' he said. Despite Fulcher's admission, Hegseth did not appear to blame the DOGE employee. After his spat with Weiss, he was provided with a Pentagon office space. After firing senior Pentagon officials in mid-April, Hegseth named Fulcher a senior adviser. While Fulcher remains in his position, sources said he has been relocated from outside Hegseth's main office to a desk down the hall. Fulcher told The Post that the move was temporary, due to maintenance work being conducted. Reflecting on his departure from DOGE on Tuesday, Weiss thanked Hegseth for the 'unprecedented opportunity' he gave the group. '@SecDef carefully and fairly weighed in on every recommendation that was presented to him, and he fully embodied the values he promotes for the Department; reviving the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military, and reasserting deterrence,' he tweeted. The altercation highlights tension between senior Pentagon officials and those assigned to DOGE, whose mission to dismantle federal departments has reportedly clashed with national security priorities.
Washington Post
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Hegseth lashed out at DOGE official in tense Pentagon confrontation
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at the Pentagon's top representative from Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service weeks ago in an angry confrontation arising from claims the DOGE official had summoned law enforcement to remove a subordinate from the building, according to three people familiar with the matter. The tense encounter in early April occurred with Yinon Weiss, a tech entrepreneur and military veteran like the secretary who had just become Musk's team lead at the Defense Department. Raising his voice at times, Hegseth demanded that Weiss explain why he thought he possessed such authority, these people said, all speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid reprisal by the Trump administration.
Politico
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
DOGE lead Steve Davis did not go quietly
That's because Davis was acting as if he'd never left. Not only did he remain in touch with staffers, asking for DOGE updates and making requests, he also led a DOGE meeting on the sixth floor of the General Services Administration a week after the White House had said he departed, according to two people familiar with the events granted anonymity to speak about them. At the meeting, he announced a DOGE 2.0 in which DOGE would be more collaborative with Cabinet secretaries — a proposal that never came to be, one of two people said. 'He was at the GSA running the meeting like it was business as usual,' the person said. Several DOGE employees including Yinon Weiss, Sam Corcos, Ryan Shea, and Adam Blake privately questioned Davis' role running DOGE as a non-government employee, according to the two people. 'A lot of people got uncomfortable,' one of the people said of the dynamic after the White House sent the message about not communicating with Davis. 'So many people received that message from the White House and I think that bothered them, that Steve was continuing to tell everybody that everything is normal and to act like he is still involved in running the show.' Concerned about the potential legal ramifications of taking direction from someone who the White House had instructed them not to, some sought guidance from the DOGE general counsel Austin Raynor, who clarified that Davis is no longer a government employee. Davis responded by dispatching a trio of allies — GSA Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian, Josh Gruenbaum, and Anthony Armstrong — to assess people's loyalty, the two people said. He also installed the troika as the new leaders of DOGE. 'They claimed authority from [Vice President] JD Vance and [chief of staff] Susie Wiles but actually did not and do not have it — they were bluffing,' the second person said, adding that the White House is aware of these claims and has been working to ensure everyone understands that these three only have authority at the GSA, not the broad remit that characterized DOGE's early days.
