Tag Archives: Pentagon

OBOXMA: It seems Zuckerberg now wants US military contracts

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While Meta is mired in antitrust proceedings threatening to lead to its dismantling, Mark Zuckerberg is desperately tightening his ties with the Trump administration, which he has been trying to seduce for several months in the hope of securing highly lucrative military contracts.

Mark Zuckerberg has made one strategic rapprochement gesture after another towards Donald Trump, combining financial initiatives, internal decisions and political signals: a million-dollar donation at his inauguration in January, a meeting at Mar-a-Lago, the dismantling of Facebook’s fact-checking program, the removal of Meta’s diversity team, the appointment of people close to Trump to the board of directors, and the purchase of a house in Washington D.C.

Move over, F’Elon and Jeff! Mark Zuckerberg — the guy who stole Facebook from his Harvard schoolmate — wants a piece of your pie.

It seems Zuckerberg now wants US military contracts – OboxMA

Meta recently hired Francis Brennan, a former advisor to Donald Trump, to head up its strategic communications in Washington.
It seems Zuckerberg now wants US military contracts

Newsweek: Pentagon Issues New Sweeping Order Amid Trump Admin Crackdown on DEI

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The Pentagon has issued its most sweeping directive yet in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s ongoing campaign to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content from the U.S. military.

In a memo distributed Friday, military leaders and commands were ordered to review and pull all library books related to diversity, anti-racism, and gender issues by May 21. The directive characterizes such materials as “promoting divisive concepts and gender ideology,” which it says are incompatible with the Department of Defense’s core mission.

So racism and gender discrimination must be part of “the Department of Defense’s core mission”?

Pentagon issues new sweeping order amid Trump admin crackdown on DEI

Pete Hegseth ordered military leaders to review and pull all library books related to diversity, anti-racism and gender issues.

https://www.newsweek.com/hegseth-pentagon-dei-books-us-military-libraries-2070469

Daily Beast: Bad News for Pete Hegseth as Pentagon Signal Probe Widens

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The Pentagon inspector general has reportedly expanded an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the encrypted messaging app Signal. Citing a congressional aide and a source familiar with the inquiry, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins plans to widen his investigation to include a second Signal chat Hegseth made that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. Stebbins initially announced the launch of the investigation last month, and stated it would examine a Signal group chat Hegseth and other top officials were a part of. That chat became public after then-National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. The inquiry will now include a probe into the second group chat as well, and could pose trouble for Hegseth—who has repeatedly denied ever using the app to send classified information. Crediting their source, WSJ adds that Stebbins is concerned in part about “who took information from a government system for highly-classified information and put it into Hegseth’s commercial Signal app.”

Bad News for Pete Hegseth as Pentagon Signal Probe Widens

The Pentagon inspector general has reportedly expanded an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the encrypted messaging app Signal. Citing a congressional aide and a source familiar with the inquiry, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins plans to widen his investigation to include a second Signal chat Hegseth made that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. Stebbins…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/bad-news-for-pete-hegseth-as-pentagon-signal-probe-widens/ar-AA1E0Rw9

Business Insider: Hegseth says the Pentagon is done ‘walking on eggshells.’ Women in uniform say it feels like a ‘slap in the face.’

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A rash of changes at the Pentagon has been sparking concern among some female service members. Now, a new memo set to potentially bring more change is causing additional alarm.

Since Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took over the Pentagon, top female officers have been fired, some women’s service histories have been erased, women’s leadership programs have been squashed, and an advisory board focused on women in the military has been dismissed.

Last Friday, Hegseth signed a memo directing a review of equal opportunity programs and the processes for reporting and investigating harassment allegations. Hegseth said the moves, which he’s dubbed the “no more walking on eggshells” policy, would ensure faster and more impartial investigations.

“Too often at the Defense Department, there are complaints made for certain reasons that can’t be verified that have ended people’s careers,” he said in an accompanying video, calling some complaints “nonsense.”

But current and former female service members told Business Insider that they worry potential changes could reverse recent progress in addressing problems like hazing, sexual harassment, racism, and social media misconduct.

Hegseth says the Pentagon is done ‘walking on eggshells.’ Women in uniform say it feels like a ‘slap in the face.’

Secretary of Defense Hegseth signed a memo last Friday ordering the services to review their equal opportunity policies, leaving some women worried.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hegseth-says-the-pentagon-is-done-walking-on-eggshells-women-in-uniform-say-it-feels-like-a-slap-in-the-face/ar-AA1E5IHd

Politico: Hegseth attorney’s dual roles trip conflict of interest alarms

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Tim Parlatore is a personal attorney and top adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. At the same time, he’s suing the Navy and defending private clients against the U.S. government.

Parlatore, who represented Donald Trump in a criminal case two years ago and rejoined the Navy Reserve in March to aid Hegseth, was recently tapped to coordinate the leak investigation that led to chaos at the Pentagon. The probe was publicly tied to the firings of top advisers and preceded further revelations that Hegseth was careless with classified information. Parlatore was also reportedly in the Signal group with Hegseth’s wife and brother in which the Defense secretary shared details of a strike on Yemen.

Hegseth attorney’s dual roles trip conflict of interest alarms

Tim Parlatore’s close relationship with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — while representing legal clients facing off against the department — is drawing scrutiny.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/hegseth-attorney-s-dual-roles-trip-conflict-of-interest-alarms/ar-AA1E64sP

Associated Press: Army plans for a potential parade on Trump’s birthday call for 6,600 soldiers, AP learns

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His Majesty King Donald would like a big parade to celebrate his birthday:

Detailed Army plans for a potential military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday in June call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and possibly a couple thousand civilians, The Associated Press has learned.

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While the slides do not include any price estimates, it would likely cost tens of millions of dollars to put on a parade of that size. Costs would include the movement of military vehicles, equipment, aircraft and troops from across the country to Washington and the need to feed and house thousands of service members.

Army plans for a potential parade on Trump’s birthday call for 6,600 soldiers, AP learns

Detailed Army plans for a potential military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday in June call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and potentially a couple thousand civilians.

https://apnews.com/article/army-parade-trump-birthday-96bb9c8e9af1ef285c56fdc3d1ba4b35

Talking Points Memo: Trump Has Ordered Safeguards Stripped From Procurement As Pentagon Prepares To Spend $1 Trillion

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To summarize, the new executive orders purport not merely to change or improve regulations, but to simply eliminate most of the existing procurement rules developed through years of oversight processes and outside scrutiny. They effectively undo procurement safeguards put in place after tremendous waste was exposed during the Cold War. In their place, the executive orders would elevate certain procedures that allow the government to spend unlimited sums without competition — the so-called “other transactions” process that need not be competed and that circumvents safeguards put in place to protect tax dollars. The Executive Orders say there should be a “first preference” for other transactions processes, which is like having a “first preference” for bringing a pistol with no safety to compete in a boxing match.

It’s all about lining their own pockets. They’ll get a pardon [they hope!] at the end of King Donald’s term and all will be well.

Trump Has Ordered Safeguards Stripped From Procurement As Pentagon Prepares To Spend $1 Trillion

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. The Trump White House this month announced…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-has-ordered-safeguards-stripped-from-procurement-as-pentagon-prepares-to-spend-1-trillion/ar-AA1DLRfe

The Dispatch: Trump’s Team of Losers

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The president has hired lots of people who couldn’t win their own elections.

He’s not alone. Hegseth is only one member of the second Trump administration to have been plucked from the pantheon of electoral duds and given a second lease on political life. From the Cabinet all the way to high-profile White House aides, there are failed candidates for major office who might have otherwise toiled for years in obscurity or, even worse, local politics if not for Trump’s magnanimity. Contrary to the president’s boasted affection for winners, it’s loyalty to Trump, sometimes even in the face of defeat, that remains the most valuable characteristic for a Republican looking to get ahead these days. Even the losers.

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So the pathway for aspiring MAGA politicians is clear: in order to get the Trump administration imprimatur to win a future race for office, try losing one first.

Trump’s Team of Losers

The president has hired lots of people who couldn’t win their own elections.
Trump’s Team of Losers

The Week US: A ‘meltdown’ at Hegseth’s Pentagon

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was fighting to hold on to his Cabinet position this week after reports that he used a second Signal chat—which included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer— last month to discuss detailed plans for a U.S. military strike on rebel camps in Yemen. The New York Times reported that Hegseth, a former Fox News host, had created chaos “unmatched in the recent history” of the Pentagon, and that after he fired three top aides last week and accused them of leaking to the press, his circle of advisers “is in shambles.” A fourth recently departed aide, former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot, said in a Politico column that the Defense Department is “in a full-blown meltdown” under Hegseth’s leadership and that “it’s hard to see” him retaining his post. NPR reported that the Trump administration has begun a search for Hegseth’s replacement.

A ‘meltdown’ at Hegseth’s Pentagon

The Defense Secretary is fighting to keep his job amid leaked Signal chats and staff turmoil

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/a-meltdown-at-hegseth-s-pentagon/ar-AA1DNG9m

Newsweek: Fired Pentagon Official Says He’s ‘Not Sure’ if Pete Hegseth Is OK

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Colin Carroll, a former top Pentagon official, said in an interview over the weekend that he’s “not sure” if Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is OK.

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Carroll described Hegseth’s leadership as “a tale of two Petes.” He praised the defense secretary’s ability to convince the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus to increase defense spending but criticized Hegseth’s fixation with “weird details” and tendency to get “very agitated” during meetings.

“He was very focused on the leaks and I think it kind of consumed the team a little bit,” Carroll told Kelly. “If you look at a pie chart of the secretary’s day, at this point, 50 percent of it is probably a leak investigation.”

Carroll was also asked about Hegseth’s contention in a recent interview when he said “disgruntled former employees are peddling things to try to save their a**.” Carroll told Kelly he thought Hegseth was unprepared for the questions but added that it doesn’t matter because the defense secretary has “an audience of one,” likely referring to President Donald Trump.

Fired Pentagon Official Says He’s ‘Not Sure’ if Pete Hegseth Is OK

Former Pentagon official Colin Carroll described Hegseth as fixated on “weird details and very agitated.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/fired-pentagon-official-says-he-s-not-sure-if-pete-hegseth-is-ok/ar-AA1DNeQY