Tag Archives: Pete Hegseth

Washington Post: Within Pete Hegseth’s divided inner circle, a ‘cold war’ endures

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At the Pentagon, personality conflicts persist and inexperience reigns, fueling internal speculation about the defense secretary’s long-term viability in Trump’s Cabinet.

An enduring rift among Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s cadre of senior advisers has divided the Pentagon’s front office and fueled internal speculation about his long-term viability in the Cabinet post after several episodes that attracted White House scrutiny, according to numerous people familiar with the matter.

The conflict within Hegseth’s inner circle persists even after he purged several political appointees in April and attempts to portray a sense of unity among his remaining brain trust. His claims, however, are belied by continued behind-the-scenes dysfunction, brought on by unresolved personality conflicts, inexperience, vacancies in key leadership roles and a steady-state paranoia over what political crisis could emerge next, current and former officials said.

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Within Pete Hegseth’s divided inner circle, a ‘cold war’ endures
At the Pentagon, personality conflicts persist and inexperience reigns, fueling speculation about Pete Hegseth’s long-term viability in Trump’s Cabinet.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/05/27/hegseth-advisers-pentagon-trump

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

Newsweek: Why do MAGA Republicans hate Europe?

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In May 1988, Republican President Ronald Reagan spoke from the Oval Office in an address not targeted at the American people, but the citizens of Western Europe. The president was planning a trip to meet with Soviet Union General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev and wanted to make his commitment to Europe clear.

Staring directly at the camera, Reagan said: “Shared [moral] standards and beliefs tie us to Europe today. They are the essence of the community of free nations to which we belong.”

Thirty years later, in July 2018, while sitting for an interview with CBS at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, Republican President Donald Trump was asked to name America’s top global foe. “Well, I think we have a lot of foes,” Trump said. “I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade. Now you wouldn’t think of the European Union, but they’re a foe.”

Why do MAGA Republicans hate Europe?
The Trump administration’s stance on Europe has grabbed headlines, but the Republican Party’s icy posture toward internationalism goes back decades.

https://www.newsweek.com/maga-republicans-donald-trump-jd-vance-europe-2071814

Independent: Furious Democrats call for investigation into Musk’s bid to help build Trump’s ‘$500 billion’ Golden Dome project

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Forty-two members of the opposition write to Pentagon’s Inspector General to raise conflict of interest concerns over SpaceX’s potential involvement in anti-missile project

A group of 42 Democrats has written to the Pentagon’s Inspector General demanding an investigation after it was reported that Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, could win a lucrative contract to help build President Donald Trump’s new “Golden Dome” anti-missile defense system.

Senators Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Tammy Duckworth have responded by expressing their concerns in a letter to acting Pentagon Inspector General Steven A Stebbins, demanding transparency about the bidding process.

“Mr Musk’s formal or informal participation in any process to award a government contract raises serious conflict of interest concerns, including the possibility that SpaceX is a top contender for the Golden Dome contract because of Mr Musk’s position in the government,” they wrote.

The project, inspired by Israel’s “Iron Dome”, was announced by President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House on Tuesday. The president promised it would be “fully operational” before he leaves office in January 2029 and capable of intercepting rockets, “even if they are launched from space.”

The independent Congressional Budget Office has warned that the project could cost as much as $524bn and take 20 years to build. Trump dismissed that estimate, putting the price tag closer to $175bn and insisting it could be completed in just three years, beginning with a $25bn grant to kickstart the development. That effort will be steered by Space Force General Michael Guetlein and “the brightest minds” in Silicon Valley, he said without naming the former DOGE leader.

I smell a crooked deal in the works, with the “winning” bidder already selected.

Democrats call for investigation into Elon Musk’s Golden Dome bid
Forty-two members of the opposition write to Pentagon’s Inspector General to raise conflict of interest concerns over SpaceX’s potential involvement in anti-missile project

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-golden-dome-trump-democrats-b2755109.html

Responsible Statecraft: Hegseth is taking the Army on another dead end ride to Asia

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The U.S. Army is getting ready to fight China. At least that’s how Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Army leaders are selling their new modernization initiative, announced on April 30.

Framed as an opportunity for “generational change,” the overhaul intends to “optimize” the Army’s force structure and equip its soldiers for the Indo-Pacific’s maritime terrain while divesting the heavy armored vehicles and helicopters that have been Army mainstays for a decade.

Like the Army’s past efforts to pivot to Asia, however, the initiative is likely to fail. The Army doesn’t have a game-changing or undiscovered role to play in a potential future conflict with China, and another expensive reboot isn’t going to help it find one. Instead, it’s time for the Army to face reality and double down on the narrow but essential core competencies it can already bring to the Indo-Pacific, including air defense, command and control, and sustainment.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/hegseth-army

Raleigh News & Observer: ‘I am Ashamed’: West Point Professor Resigns in Defiance

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United States Military Academy at West Point philosophy professor Graham Parsons has resigned after 13 years, citing significant changes in the academy’s educational principles. He no longer aligns himself with the institution, claiming it has strayed from its foundational values and limits academic freedom. Parsons expressed concern regarding recent policies that have altered curriculum by eliminating courses and modifying syllabuses to fit specific ideological viewpoints.

Parson claimed the changes have made it impossible for him to fulfill his responsibilities as an educator, leading to his decision to resign at the semester’s end. Parsons said, “I cannot tolerate these changes, which prevent me from doing my job responsibly. I am ashamed to be associated with the academy in its current form.”

Parsons added, “In a matter of days, the United States Military Academy at West Point abandoned its core principles. Once a school that strove to give cadets the broad-based, critical-minded, nonpartisan education they need for careers as Army officers, it was suddenly eliminating courses, modifying syllabuses and censoring arguments to comport with the ideological tastes of the Trump administration.”

‘I am Ashamed’: West Point Professor Resigns in Defiance
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/i-am-ashamed-west-point-professor-resigns-in-defiance/ss-AA1F4qmg

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: ‘Anti-Woke’ Order: Military Members Face Self-Separation Deadline

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Transgender service members in the military have a 30 to 60-day deadline to self-separate after a court order reinstated a ban on their service. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that about 1,000 service members with gender dysphoria are starting the voluntary separation process. Active-duty personnel must separate by June 6, while reservists have until July 7 to comply with the new policy.

Despite the deadline, there are ongoing legal challenges and court orders. There could be further judicial interventions that alters the timeline.

‘Anti-Woke’ Order: Military Members Face Self-Separation Deadline
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/anti-woke-order-military-members-face-self-separation-deadline/ss-AA1F1SU0

Sacramento Bee: ‘We Fixed It’: Fallout from Suspension of Female Commander

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Fort McCoy in Wisconsin is a 93-square-mile military training base supporting nearly 75,000 service members this year. Colonel Sheyla Baez Ramirez took command in mid-2024, bringing extensive military intelligence and operations experience. The U.S. Army suspended Ramirez after portraits of President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the base’s chain of command wall were turned to face the wall.

Hats off to whoever did it! 😀

‘We Fixed It’: Fallout from Suspension of Female Commander
Fort McCoy in Wisconsin is a 93-square-mile military training base supporting nearly 75,000 service members this year. Colonel Sheyla Baez Ramirez took command in mid-2024, bringing extensive military intelligence and operations experience. The U.S. Army suspended Ramirez after portraits of President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the base’s chain of commandContinue reading ”‘We Fixed It’: Fallout from Suspension of Female…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/we-fixed-it-fallout-from-suspension-of-female-commander/ar-AA1EYKqT

Knewz: The One Reason ‘Pentagon Princess’ Pete Hegseth Still Has a Job

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According to The Nation, Hegseth still has a job because of one man – President Trump.

The site explained how Hegseth wasn’t picked for the role of Defense Secretary due to any skills or experience, but because he shares a similar outlook as Trump on the military.

Just like the president, Hegseth believes the military has been compromised by the left-wing.

In late April, Hegseth put an end to a military program he described as “another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative.”

He wrote on X: “This morning, I proudly ENDED the ‘Women, Peace & Security’ (WPS) program inside the @DeptofDefense. WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING.

“WPS is a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it. DoD will hereby executive the minimum of WPS required by statute and fight to end the program for our next budget. GOOD RIDDANCE WPS!”

Following the signal scandal, Mike Waltz was effectively removed from his position as National Security Advisor (NSA) by President Trump – but Hegseth wasn’t stripped of his role.

While the world awaits more firings due to the scandal, Hegseth isn’t expected to be let go due to his friendship with the current president.

It’s all about cronies, not competence!

The One Reason ‘Pentagon Princess’ Pete Hegseth Still Has a Job
“Pentagon Princess” Pete Hegseth had a rough few weeks making major mistakes and now, the calls for him to be fired haven’t stopped.

https://knewz.com/the-one-reason-pentagon-princess-pete-hegseth-still-has-a-job

Kansas City Star: Republicans ‘Lied’: Governor Exposes Trump Admin’s Threat

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has condemned the Trump administration for threats made by Border Czar Tom Homan regarding guidance issued to state employees on federal immigration interactions. Evers argues that the federal government should not misuse its power to intimidate citizens or arrest individuals who have not committed crimes. His criticism follows the administration’s investigation of local officials who do not support its deportation policies.

Evers said, “In this country, the federal government doesn’t get to abuse its power to threaten everyday Americans. In this country, the federal government doesn’t get to arrest American citizens who have not committed a crime. In this country, we don’t threaten to persecute people just because they belong to a different political party.”

Evers added, “But Republicans and their right-wing allies, including Elon Musk, lied about this guidance, spread misinformation, accused me of doing things I didn’t do or say, and fueled a fake controversy of their own creation.”

Republicans ‘Lied’: Governor Exposes Trump Admin’s Threat
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/republicans-lied-governor-exposes-trump-admin-s-threat/ss-AA1EGqTU