John Ullyot, a former national security aide and Pentagon press secretary, is expected to resign at the end of the week, according to reports. His departure comes shortly after Sean Parnell assumed the role of the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson in February.
Ullyot explained that he had expressed to Secretary Pete Hegseth before the inauguration that he was not interested in being second in command within the public affairs office. He mentioned that he had offered to assist on an acting basis for two months. However, after discussions with the Secretary last month, Ullyot stated that they were unable to find a suitable new role for him within the Department of Defense, prompting his decision to leave.
Previously, Ullyot served as the spokesperson for the National Security Council during the first Trump administration and was an assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. A veteran of the Marine Corps, Ullyot also worked as a senior adviser for President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.
His resignation coincides with a broader shake-up at the Pentagon, as three officials were placed on administrative leave this week in connection to an ongoing leak investigation. Colin Carroll, the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, was placed on leave on Wednesday. The previous day, Darin Selnick, deputy chief of staff for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Hegseth’s aide, Dan Caldwell, were also removed from their posts. Caldwell’s leave is linked to an investigation into an “unauthorized disclosure” of national security information, as part of an inquiry into recent leaks within the Pentagon.
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