Pete Hegseth on Capitol Hill in June. His acting chief of staff, Ricky Buria, is seated behind him wearing a red tie. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)

By Dan Lamothe

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s acting chief of staff tried and failed to oust a senior White House liaison assigned to the Pentagon, people familiar with the matter said Monday, detailing an unusual dispute that marks the latest instance of infighting among a staff plagued by disagreement and distrust.

The clash between Ricky Buria, Hegseth’s acting chief of staff, and Matthew A. McNitt, who coordinates personnel policy as White House liaison at the Pentagon, appears rooted in Buria’s frustration with repeated pushback from the White House as he has attempted to fill positions in the defense secretary’s office. It

See Full Page