Top military officials faced polygraphs over leaks on munitions, sources say
Some of the highest-ranking officials in the U.S. military were subjected to polygraph tests as part of a sweeping leak probe, U.S. officials briefed on the matter told CBS News.
Updated on: September 4, 2026 / 9:44 PM EDT / CBS News
President Trump was furious about the leaks, according to three of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. A very small set of people had access to the classified details on the munitions, and there was concern about whether anyone could potentially be acting as a foreign intelligence asset, one of the sources said.
Polygraph tests are often a part of the routine cadence for top military and civilian officials, but the mass volume of people who were pulled in for testing in this case was extremely rare, officials said.
Several dozen people were given the tests earlier this summer, including some U.S. Central Command officials as well as other combatant commanders.
The polygraph questions delved deeply into various national security-related matters. No one failed the questions meant to determine if these officials leaked to the media, two of the sources said.