Trump is weeding out the Swamp. And they aren’t happy about it.
Now Homeland Security pulled out the lie detector test on these unelected bureaucrats.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is doubling down on its no-nonsense approach to ferreting out leakers, proudly standing by its use of lie-detector tests to safeguard sensitive information. Fox News Digital got the scoop on how DHS is tackling internal breaches with gusto, showing it’s ready to protect national interests at all costs.
“Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security,” Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’ assistant secretary for public affairs, told Fox News Digital on Monday.
“We are agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment or status as a career civil servant – we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
Her words carry a clear message: no one’s off-limits when it comes to keeping the agency’s secrets safe.
This hardline stance comes into sharper focus after Politico dropped a report last Friday about FEMA Chief Cameron Hamilton facing a polygraph test in March.
The test followed a sit-down between DHS and Corey Lewandowski, a key advisor to President Donald Trump, who’s been vocal about shaking things up.
The meeting reportedly centered on Trump’s push to “eliminate” FEMA—an agency he’s slammed for dropping the ball on disaster relief.
Hamilton passed the test, proving he wasn’t the source of any leaks, but the incident underscores DHS’s determination to plug holes amid Trump’s bold agenda.
Polygraphs aren’t some shiny new toy for DHS—they’re a well-worn tool across agencies like the FBI, CIA, and ATF, used for everything from vetting new hires to sniffing out security risks.
The FBI, for instance, ramped up its use of lie detectors after the 2001 arrest of Robert Hanssen, a rogue agent caught spying for Russia.
The Pentagon, too, jumped on the bandwagon in March, launching a probe into leaks that might involve polygraphs for Defense Department staff, as Fox Digital previously noted. It’s a tried-and-true method, and DHS is leaning in hard.
McLaughlin’s been vocal about this mission before, taking to X in February to affirm DHS’s stance after chatter about polygraphing staff over immigration raid leaks. “The Department of Homeland Security is a national security agency,” she posted. “We can, should, and will polygraph personnel.”
That same month, Secretary Kristi Noem laid down the law with an internal directive, mandating that polygraph questions zero in on unauthorized media or nonprofit contacts, per Bloomberg Government. It’s a sign DHS means business, especially with Trump’s team pushing for tighter control.
The stakes got real when Border Czar Tom Homan speculated in February that a leak had tipped off illegal immigrants about ICE raids in Colorado and California. That slip allegedly let Tren de Aragua gang members dodge arrest—a frustrating setback that only fuels DHS’s resolve.
The agency’s already got polygraphs baked into its hiring process for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, ensuring they’re fit to serve. “The federal government uses the polygraph exam to understand an applicants’ past behavior, personal connections and personal integrity,” DHS explains online. “Almost every Border Patrol Agent, Customs and Border Protection Officer, and Air and Marine Operations Agent who has joined CBP has taken, and passed, a Polygraph Exam.”
With Trump’s influence steering the ship, DHS isn’t just playing defense—it’s going on offense to lock down leaks and back up his vision. From FEMA critiques to border security, the agency’s signaling it’s all in on delivering results, polygraph in hand.
