Tag Archives: Sean Parnell

Daily Beast: Trump Insider Reveals ‘Nobody’ Is Talking to Hegseth as Iran Crisis Spirals

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The president is turning to others ahead of his Fox News star defense secretary.

Donald Trump is sidestepping his own defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, while seeking advice on whether to launch a military strike against Iran, according to a report.

An unnamed U.S. official told The Washington Post that the president is instead turning to a couple of four-star generals for guidance on whether to join Israel in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the head of the Pentagon being largely left out.

“Nobody is talking to Hegseth,” the official said. “There is no interface operationally between Hegseth and the White House at all.”

Seriously, did you actually expect four-star generals to take orders from a washed-out O-3?

Trump Insider Reveals ‘Nobody’ Is Talking to Pete Hegseth as Iran Crisis Spirals
The president is turning to others ahead of his Fox News star defense secretary.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-insider-reveals-nobody-is-talking-to-hegseth-as-iran-crisis-spirals

Raw Story: Pete Hegseth deploys troops to several states for ICE support

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered 700 military personnel to be deployed to Florida, Louisiana, and Texas for deportation operations.

In a statement on Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the troops would support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“These service members, drawn from all components and operating in a Title 10 duty status, will provide logistical support, and conduct administrative and clerical functions associated with the processing of illegal aliens at ICE detention facilities,” Parnell said. “They will not directly participate in law enforcement activities.”

https://www.rawstory.com/hegseth-troops

Newsweek: Gavin Newsom accuses Trump administration of spreading fake protest images

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On X, formerly Twitter, the Department of Defense’s Rapid Response account posted a video that appeared to show burning, graffitied police cars during protests in Los Angeles this week.

However, the fact-checking website Snopes said the image showed protests in Los Angeles following the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

The governor’s office wrote on X on Friday: “HUGE DEVELOPMENT: An official Department of Defense account is spreading fake images—from old protests—to justify Trump’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles. This isn’t just disinformation. It’s a propaganda campaign from the Pentagon.”

Gavin Newsom accuses Trump administration of spreading fake protest images
The president deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in response to anti-ICE protests.

https://www.newsweek.com/gavin-newsom-trump-fake-protest-images-2085492

New York Magazine: Playing Secretary — Could These Be Pete Hegseth’s Last Days in the Pentagon?

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As war looms, Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon is beset by infighting over leaks, drugs, and socks. How long will Trump stand by his man?

In the drama of Hegseth’s January confirmation hearings, it was easy to get distracted by the financial settlement for an assault allegation, by the multitudinous accounts of heavy drinking on the job, by claims of misogyny from both his mother and his sister-in-law, by the fact that Hegseth, while married with three small children, had fathered a child with a Fox News producer who was also married with small children, during which pregnancy he had slept with the woman who later accused him of assault, and thereby miss some straightforward information about his managerial experience.

Pete Hegseth had run a nonprofit called Veterans for Freedom for several years, an organization that employed fewer than 20 people, and resigned after alleged financial mismanagement nearly bankrupted the organization. He had run a group called Concerned Veterans for America, which employed around 160 people, and resigned amid allegations of misconduct and, once again, financial mismanagement.

In choosing Hegseth, Donald Trump did not choose from the large set of people who had never managed an organization, or the considerably smaller set of people who had managed an organization without incident, but from a smaller still set of people who had managed multiple bureaucracies and resigned multiple times under complex circumstances.

It’s a good read but a bit long. Click the link below to read the entire article:

Could These Be Pete Hegseth’s Last Days in the Pentagon?
archived 13 Jun 2025 19:07:18 UTC

https://archive.is/xG4FF#selection-1205.0-1209.128

Mirror: Thousands gather in SF for ‘epic battle’ against ICE amid Calif. raids

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In true Bay Area fashion, Monday night’s protest had its own rhythm.

An estimated 9,000 protesters gathered for a rally and march that started at San Francisco’s 24th & Mission BART Plaza around 6 p.m. to protest the recent raids carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement across California. Tracks like YG’s “FDT” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” rang out on Mission Street, along with chants like “Move ICE, get out the way!” echoing through the crowd in a nod to Ludacris. Protesters rolled through on scooters and skates, some draped in keffiyehs, others wearing face masks and clothing scrawled with anti-fascist messages. Many were waving upside down American flags and cardboard posters bearing anti-ICE slogans, lambasting the agency’s actions as unlawful and illegal.

Galvanized by mounting unrest across California and large-scale demonstrations in Los Angeles — where, after three days of protest, President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of 700 Marines and over 4,000 National Guard troops, bypassing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authority — Bay Area residents took to the streets in a show of solidarity, advocating for immigrants of all nationalities, ethnicities and creeds.

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“And by epic battle, I mean a battle that is going to have consequences for many years, for a long time to come,” Baker said. “And you know that the Trump regime has a strategy to wear us down, to shock and awe, coming at us from so many different directions. That’s their idea, that we will give up and go home.“

“The people rising up is the only thing that’s going to stop them now,” he concluded.

Thousands gather in SF for ‘epic battle’ against ICE amid Calif. raids

https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/thousands-march-sf-protest-california-ice-raids-20369532.php

Associated Press: Live updates on the LA protests: Trump authorizes the deployment of additional 2,000 National Guard members

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President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard members to respond to immigration protests in Los Angeles, according to the Pentagon’s chief spokesman. The latest order brings the total number of Guard put on federal orders for the protests to more than 4,100.

The news comes hours after the Pentagon deployed about 700 Marines to the protests to the city.

  • Marines deployed: The troops will be used to protect federal property and personnel, including immigration agents, and are prohibited from performing law enforcement duties under the Posse Comitatus Act. The Pentagon is drafting guidelines that will explain to the Marines what they can and cannot do, a U.S. official said.
  • California sues Trump: The state sued the president over his deployment of the Guard troops as growing numbers of demonstrators took to the city’s streets for a fourth day. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the lawsuit by telling reporters that Trump had “trampled” the state’s sovereignty.
  • Trump threatens to arrest Newsom: “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great,” Trump said, referencing Tom Homan, the administration’s border czar, who warned that anyone, including public officials, would be arrested if they obstructed federal immigration enforcement. “Come after me, arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy,” Newsom said in response.
Live updates on the LA protests: Trump authorizes the deployment of additional 2,000 National Guard members
President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 2,000 more National Guard members in addition to 700 Marines responding to immigration protests in Los Angeles.

https://apnews.com/live/immigration-protests-los-angeles

Daily Beast: Pentagon Reporter Calls Out Hegseth on Fox News Over Media Crackdown: ‘He’s Embarrassed’

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A veteran Pentagon correspondent used a Fox News appearance to savage Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for attempting to restrict media access at his department.

Barbara Starr, who spent more than 20 years as CNN’s Pentagon correspondent, claimed Hegseth is ending journalists’ access to certain areas at the Pentagon because he’s “embarrassed” by the chaos engulfing his time in the Trump administration.

“Hegseth is embarrassed,” Starr said on Fox’s MediaBuzz Sunday. “He’s embarrassed by this—so much exposure to information, classified by all accounts, that he posted on Signal about that air attack in Yemen. He’s embarrassed that information came out that he was going to meet with Elon Musk and brief him on China.”

Pentagon Reporter Calls Out Hegseth on Fox News Over Media Crackdown: ‘He’s Embarrassed’
Barbara Starr says the defense secretary should be more focused on other areas other than his “PR structure.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-reporter-barbara-starr-calls-out-hegseth-on-fox-news-over-media-crackdown-hes-embarrassed

Daily Beast: Pentagon Shuts Down Musk’s ‘What Did You Do Last Week’ Emails

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As the DOGE boss departs, staff have been told to come up with their ideas to cut waste and boost efficiency.

The Pentagon has ended Elon Musk’s directive for federal workers to provide a list of five of their accomplishments every week as it distances itself from one of DOGE’s most contentious policies.

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Democrat Congressman Joe Courtney, a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said it was about time the department scrapped the policy.

“Good riddance,” he told the Daily Beast.

“For months, dedicated Defense Department civilians received Elon Musk’s insulting ‘five things’ emails. Many of these people served in the military, are highly trained and experienced, and are doing this job because they actually care about the mission.

“And yet, they were being constantly pummeled with these communications from DOGE questioning their dedication and the value of their work.”

Pentagon Shuts Down Musk’s ‘What Did You Do Last Week’ Emails
As the DOGE boss departs, staff have been told to come up with their ideas to cut waste and boost efficiency.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-shuts-down-musks-what-did-you-do-last-week-emails

Independent: Inside Pete Hegseth’s chaotic inner circle as report says defense secretary’s team in ‘cold war’

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Questions raised over long-term viability of embattled head of Pentagon as two senior advisers said to be at loggerheads

The Pentagon is reportedly in the grip of a new Cold War, and it has nothing to do with Russia.

A rift between two senior advisers to Pete Hegseth has led to a wider schism at the department, fueling speculation about the long-term prospects of the embattled defense secretary as a member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, according to reporting by The Washington Post.

Numerous people familiar with the matter told the paper that claims of departmental unity are belied by continued dysfunction behind the scenes, stemming from personality conflicts, lack of experience, ongoing vacancies in important roles, and paranoia over what political crisis could erupt next.

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Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retribution, described the most combustible relationship as that between two Hegseth aides, Eric Geressy and Ricky Buria.

They claim that Geressy, a retired soldier whom Hegseth has credited with mentoring him during their service in Iraq, has expressed ongoing concerns that Buria, until recently a military assistant to the defense secretary and now his acting chief of staff, has attempted to marginalize colleagues to enhance his own standing within the Trump administration.

Amidst the fallout from the Signalgate scandal in March, tensions between the two are said to have boiled over when Geressy found out he was excluded from meetings during a trip across the Pacific by Hegseth and blamed Buria.

Geressy also voiced concern about how many administration officials were using Signal and told staffers that the White House had a dim view of Buria, seeing him as self-important.

…

Click on the link below to read the entire article:

Inside Pete Hegseth’s chaotic inner circle as defense secretary’s team in ‘cold war’
Questions raised over long-term viability of embattled head of Pentagon as two senior advisers said to be at loggerheads

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/hegseth-pentagon-chaos-defense-trump-b2758627.html

Associated Press: Defense Secretary Hegseth, bedeviled by leaks, orders more restrictions on press at Pentagon

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Bedeviled by leaks to the media during his short tenure, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a series of restrictions on the press late Friday that include banning reporters from entering wide swaths of the Pentagon without a government escort — areas where the press has had access in past administrations as it covers the activities of the world’s most powerful military.

Newly restricted areas include his office and those of his top aides and all of the different locations across the mammoth building where the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Space Force maintain press offices.

The media will also be barred from offices of the Pentagon’s senior military leadership, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, without Hegseth’s approval and an escort from his aides. The staff of the Joint Chiefs has traditionally maintained a good relationship with the press.

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
Step out of line, the men come and take you away

Defense Secretary Hegseth, bedeviled by leaks, orders more restrictions on press at Pentagon
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered further restrictions on how the press operates at the Pentagon.

https://apnews.com/article/military-pentagon-hegseth-press-access-ff9ed0431848cae8816108a8b19c640f