Trump Team Shelves Search for Hegseth’s Chief of Staff—Letting 'Chief Ricky' Take Charge
Donald Trump’s advisers have quietly paused efforts to appoint a new chief of staff for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, allowing senior adviser Ricky Buria—once viewed as a risky pick—to continue running the show in an acting role, according to insiders.
Though Buria isn’t expected to receive official White House approval for the permanent title, he’s essentially taken over the responsibilities after the exit of Joe Kasper, the department’s original chief of staff, who resigned earlier this year amid turmoil in Hegseth’s inner circle.
Efforts to block Buria’s rise have fizzled in recent months as attention drifted from the earlier controversies surrounding Hegseth’s leadership. With interest in Pentagon staffing fading, Buria has solidified his presence—earning the nickname “Chief Ricky” and becoming a regular face in West Wing briefings, including high-level situation room meetings.
This shift has brought some relief to Hegseth, who had long feared his most trusted aide might be sidelined due to White House concerns over dysfunction in his office.
Still, officials say the White House may revisit the idea of appointing a formal replacement. The role is vital, managing not just Hegseth’s front office, but also influencing the broader direction of the $1 trillion Department of Defense, which oversees over 2 million troops globally.
It’s unclear if Buria’s growing access to senior White House officials reflects genuine support or simply the fact that he’s currently the only empowered staffer approved by Hegseth himself.
Asked about the situation, a Pentagon spokesperson deferred to the White House. Meanwhile, a White House spokesperson praised Hegseth’s leadership, saying he has “restored readiness and lethality to our military and prioritized our warfighters after years of failure under the Biden administration.”
Part of Buria’s meteoric rise stems from a power vacuum in Hegseth’s front office—one he helped create. Current and former Pentagon officials confirm that Buria played a key role in pushing out his internal critics and rivals, paving the way for his takeover.
A former MV-22 Osprey pilot with deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Buria first served as a junior military assistant under Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden era. But once Hegseth took over, Buria’s career shifted rapidly—especially after Lt. Gen. Jennifer Short was dismissed and he stepped in as the senior military aide.
Seizing the moment, Buria lobbied for a political appointment and expanded his reach, especially as Hegseth’s office was rocked by a leak investigation that forced out three top aides and led to Kasper’s early departure.
With his main obstacles suddenly gone, Buria presented the situation to Hegseth as the end of the leak problem, earning him even greater loyalty from the defense secretary.
Despite White House warnings that Buria would never become official chief of staff, Hegseth stood by him. As previously reported, Buria had been linked to classified messages shared via a Signal group chat, which he allegedly accessed through Hegseth’s own phone—a serious red flag for White House staffers.
While the White House offered a compromise—keep Buria, but without the title—Hegseth effectively handed him the role anyway, according to two Trump insiders.
Though Buria missed out on traveling to the recent NATO summit—reportedly due to space constraints on Air Force One and support planes—his influence remains strong.
Still, the White House hasn’t dropped all its concerns. Buria remains under scrutiny in a Pentagon inspector general investigation tied to the “Signalgate” scandal, which is examining whether he played a role in the leak investigation and the ousting of senior aides.