# Polygraphs, Purges, and the Snake Pit Inside Hegseth’s Pentagon. What is the Pentagon Doing About AI?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff-981737/polygraphs-purges-and-the-snake-pit-inside-hegseth-s-pentagon-what-is-the-pentagon-doing-about-ai
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff-981737/polygraphs-purges-and-the-snake-pit-inside-hegseth-s-pentagon-what-is-the-pentagon-doing-about-ai.md
Podcast: [Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff](https://stenobird.com/podcast/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff-981737)
Published: 2026-09-16T09:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://bleav.com/shows/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff/?post_type=gp_podcast_episode&p=650
Audio file: https://pdrl.fm/c39fb6/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/1385/injector.simplecastaudio.com/c67dcf2c-bdc6-42d2-91a1-db918b8e8626/episodes/a0e4e13e-65e0-4b70-8296-51a52f64bb80/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=c67dcf2c-bdc6-42d2-91a1-db918b8e8626&awEpisodeId=a0e4e13e-65e0-4b70-8296-51a52f64bb80&feed=8GTvjwcf
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Duration seconds: 3426

## Resource

The Pentagon has gone dark. No press conferences since May. No real embeds in an active shooting conflict. Four-star generals pushed into retirement with a short phone call and no explanation. An Army Secretary out. Polygraphs on the table. And a 60 Minutes segment that played less like accountability journalism and more like a Hegseth highlight reel. Washington Post national security reporter Dan Lamothe returns for his 11th appearance to walk Paul through what it actually looks like to cover Pete Hegseth's Pentagon in 2026 — and why the propaganda machine is only getting louder.

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## Transcript

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