The gaffe came after Hegseth abruptly removed Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon’s top military planner, from his influential role on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The three-star general, a combat veteran who served for 32 years, was accused of misconduct for allegedly leaking classified information related to the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war.

An official also told CBS News that Sylvia had failed three polygraph tests about sharing classified information with the press; however, two other Pentagon sources disputed those accusations, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his removal.