Former top Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot is stepping down from the Defense Department at the end of this week, adding to a series of recent departures and suspensions within the department. His resignation follows the internal suspension of three senior aides amid an ongoing investigation into information leaks at the Pentagon.
Ullyot had been serving as the acting assistant to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for public affairs until February, when Sean Parnell, a former Army Ranger and Senate candidate, was appointed as the department’s chief spokesperson. In a statement, Ullyot explained that his role was always intended to be temporary.
“I made clear to Secretary Hegseth before the Inauguration that I was not interested in being number two to anyone in public affairs, but I would be happy to stand up the Pentagon press operation on an acting basis for two months and get President Trump’s pick up to speed once he came on board,” Ullyot said on Thursday.
He added that after discussing his future with Hegseth and failing to identify another suitable role within the department, he made the decision to leave. “It’s been an honor to serve alongside him as part of President Trump’s team, and I remain one of the Secretary’s strongest supporters going forward.”
However, a senior defense official told the Associated Press that Ullyot’s resignation was requested by Hegseth’s office, suggesting the departure may not have been entirely voluntary.
His exit comes amid mounting internal tensions at the Pentagon. Earlier this week, two aides to Secretary Hegseth and the chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve A. Feinberg were escorted from the building and placed on administrative leave due to the leak probe. The Defense Department has not commented on the nature of the investigation.
Ullyot had recently been defending the department’s decision to remove various military web pages related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. One controversial removal involved a tribute to baseball legend Jackie Robinson, which sparked public backlash in March. That article was temporarily taken offline, prompting criticism, and shortly afterward, Ullyot was reportedly sidelined from his position.
He previously worked as a senior spokesperson during Trump’s 2016 campaign and went on to serve as secretary of public affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs and as a spokesperson for the National Security Council during Trump’s first term in office.