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Pete Hegseth Criticized for Body-Shaming Canadian Cadets

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A social media post by Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defense, body-shaming female members of a Canadian youth development program remained online on Wednesday despite a furious backlash on both sides of the border.

On Monday night, Hegseth posted on X a photograph of two people in uniform with a Canadian flag and the caption “this is real”, an apparent attempt at mocking the country’s armed forces amid the Trump administration’s trade spat with its northern neighbor.

However, the photograph was reproduced from an Instagram post by the Vernon Cadet Training Centre in British Columbia, which hosted a summer camp in July for teenagers learning adult skills on the military base.

Its subjects are not members of Canada’s frontline military, and the person whose appearance Hegseth was attempting to ridicule is likely a volunteer instructor, critics said. The girl receiving a medal is a teenager no older than 18.

The post, widely seen as part of a Trump administration “bullying campaign” over the trade war, was immediately condemned by officials in Canada and in the US. Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, called it “beneath the office” of the secretary of defense. (Read more from “Pete Hegseth Criticized for Body-Shaming Canadian Cadets” HERE)

Pentagon Quietly Hired MAGA Influencers To Push Hegseth’s Agenda: REPORT

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The Pentagon hired military veterans and conservative political influencers to advance the U.S. Department of War Sec. Pete Hegseth’s political agenda, according to a Washington Post report published Sunday.

The influencers included retired Air Force colonel Rob Maness, retired Army colonel and Townhall columnist Kurt Schlichter, and Thomas Anderson, another retired Army colonel who writes and posts under the pseudonym Cynical Publius, WaPo reported.

Maness and Schlichter had active official government email addresses as of the week before WaPo published its story, according to the outlet. Their addresses reportedly had a “.civ” suffix reserved for civilian employees.

Anderson was listed in Department of War (DOW) records earlier in the year with a “.civ” email address, but was no longer listed when the story was published, WaPo reported.

All three were assigned to the office of Anthony Tata, the under secretary of war for personnel and readiness, according to the outlet. WaPo reported that “at least some of the influencers have been assigned to civilian roles that could lead to changes in policy.” (Read more from “Pentagon Quietly Hired MAGA Influencers To Push Hegseth’s Agenda: REPORT” HERE)

Longtime Stars and Stripes Leaders Suing Hegseth, Pentagon to Challenge their Firings from Military Newspaper

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Three staff members from the Stars and Stripes military news outlet are suing to challenge their recent firings by the Pentagon, accusing the Trump administration of violating their First Amendment free speech rights to speak out against government interference in their work.

Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and Middle East reporter Lara Korte are named as plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Washington, D.C.

The Pentagon, which partially funds the news outlet, fired them last week. A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the suit’s allegations.

Slavin says he was dismissed for insubordination after giving an interview to CBS News in which he objected to potential censorship by the U.S. military.

Korte participated in the same interview. Their lawsuit says they were punished in retaliation for publishing a report on deteriorating conditions aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. (Read more from “Longtime Stars and Stripes Leaders Suing Hegseth, Pentagon to Challenge their Firings from Military Newspaper” HERE)

Pete Hegseth Demands Troops Prove Their Manhood in Wild New ‘High-T Department of War’ Order

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The Secretary of War has announced a health initiative that will introduce mandatory annual testosterone screenings for active–duty US service members aged 30 and older, framing it as a way to keep troops on the ‘leading edge of lethality.’

Pete Hegseth unveiled the policy in a video posted to his official X account with the caption ‘The High–T Department of War.’

In his speech, he described the initiative as a ‘modern step’ toward maximizing the biological readiness and long–term health of America’s combat forces.

A source close to Hegseth says the policy was a response to something called ‘operator syndrome’ – a complex, interrelated accumulation of physiological and psychological health issues – including endocrine disruption, chronic joint pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), depression and more.

This syndrome is often experienced by special operations forces and long–serving combat veterans after years of deployments and chronic stress.

Under the new directive, testosterone level assessments will be integrated into the military’s standard annual periodic health assessments. (Read more from “Pete Hegseth Demands Troops Prove Their Manhood in Wild New ‘High-T Department of War’ Order” HERE)

‘Ingrates’: Hegseth Fires Back at Leftists Shouting at National Guard

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U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth dismissed criticism of the National Guard during remarks on Thursday, calling protesters “ingrates” and praising Guard members for helping reduce crime in Washington, DC.

During a “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force” ceremony at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC, Hegseth defended the National Guard’s mission, saying it was about restoring law and order rather than politics.

“You do your job no matter what,” Hegseth said. “It’s the sound of ingrates, of ingratitude, of people who are so blinded by ideology they can’t see law and order and common sense in front of them.”

Hegseth argued there was “nothing political” about the Guard’s mission, saying law and order is something “all Americans deserve,” regardless of race, income, or where they live. He told the troops that although many of them were not from Washington, DC, the nation’s capital belongs to all Americans and should be safe as the country marks its 250th anniversary.

Hegseth also praised the Guard for continuing its work despite difficult conditions, saying members would keep doing their jobs long after critics had moved on. (Read more from “‘Ingrates’: Hegseth Fires Back at Leftists Shouting at National Guard” HERE)

Hegseth’s ‘Paranoia’ of Being Replaced Explains Purge of Top General — as Ally Emerges for Army Secretary’s Role

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s “paranoia” about Army Secretary Dan Driscoll taking his job fueled the firing of the Army’s top general, current and former administration officials tell The Post — as a top contender emerges to replace Driscoll if he’s canned next.

Hegseth on Thursday demanded the resignation of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George’s — Driscoll’s top aide — in the middle of the Iran war for reasons that were not publicly stated, following months of mounting tensions with Driscoll.

“This is all driven by the insecurity and paranoia that Pete has developed since Signalgate. Unfortunately, it is stoked by some of his closest aides who should be trying to calm the waters,” an official said, referring to Hegseth’s March 2025 group chat with national security officials that inadvertently included a reporter.

Two other Army generals — Gen. David Hodne of the Army’s Transformation and Training Command and Maj. Gen. William Green of the Army’s Chaplain Corps — were dismissed in the purge, with the department only saying “it was time for a leadership change.”

“[Hegseth] has got a big conflict with Driscoll. And he’s been told by the White House he can’t fire Driscoll, at least for the moment,” a source close to the Trump administration said. (Read more from “Hegseth’s ‘Paranoia’ of Being Replaced Explains Purge of Top General — as Ally Emerges for Army Secretary’s Role” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Father of Killed US Military Member Disputes Hegseth’s Claim He Said to ‘Finish’ the Job in Iran

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By The Guardian. The father of a US military member killed in the Iran war has contradicted Pete Hegseth’s claim that bereaved families urged him to “finish” the job in the Middle East.

Hegseth, the defense secretary and a former weekend Fox News host, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday that he had spoken with relatives of all six service members killed in last week’s refueling tanker crash during a “dignified transfer” of their remains at Delaware’s Dover air force station the night before.

“What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve, was the same from family after family. They said, ‘Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done,’” Hegseth said.

However, on Thursday night, Charles Simmons, the father of Tech Sgt Tyler Simmons, 28, from Ohio, said he had no such conversation.

“I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about,” he told NBC News. (Read more from “Father of Killed US Military Member Disputes Hegseth’s Claim He Said to ‘Finish’ the Job in Iran” HERE)

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Father of dead serviceman says he never told Hegseth to ‘finish the job’ in Iran: report

By The Independent. The father of a dead U.S. serviceman has denied claims by Pete Hegseth that he told the Defense Secretary to “not stop until the job is done” – referring to the war in Iran.

“No, I didn’t say anything along those lines,” Charles Simmons told NBC News in an interview Thursday, recalling his encounter with Hegseth at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. “I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about.” . . .

Simmons told NBC that he had spoken to Hegseth and President Donald Trump, and that both men had treated him warmly. He had mostly spoken about his son’s impressive service record, he said.

The 60-year-old, from Columbus, Ohio, added he has “questions” about the conflict, which has now killed at least 13 American service members, and cannot draw “definitive conclusions when I don’t have all the data.”

Simmons said he told Hegseth: “I understand there’s a lot of peril that goes into making decisions like this, and I just certainly hope the decisions being made are necessary,” according to NBC. (Read more from “Father of dead serviceman says he never told Hegseth to ‘finish the job’ in Iran: report” HERE)

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Hegseth Confirms He wants $200B to Restock America’s Bombs, Missiles Post-Iran War: ‘It takes money to kill bad guys’

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appeared to confirm Thursday that the Trump administration is contemplating asking Congress to approve $200 billion in supplemental defense funding amid the war in Iran.

On Wednesday, the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon had asked the White House to make the $200 billion request to lawmakers in order to replenish America’s munitions stockpile, though it was not clear when or whether the Trump administration would decide to do so.

“As far as the $200 billion, I think that number could move, obviously,” Hegseth told reporters. “It takes money to kill bad guys. So we’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s being done.”

The amount requested is believed to be far beyond what the US has actually expended so far in its sweeping bombing campaign to cripple the Iranian regime, indicating a wider goal of beefing up America’s defense industrial base amid fears that the ability to rapidly produce weapons domestically has degraded over time.

“An investment like this is meant to say, ‘Hey, we’ll replace anything that was spent.’ And now … we’re reviving our defense industrial base and rebuilding the arsenal of freedom,” Hegseth added. (Read more from “Hegseth confirms he wants $200B to restock America’s bombs, missiles post-Iran war: ‘It takes money to kill bad guys’” HERE)

Drones Hovering above Rubio and Hegseth’s Homes Leave Military Officials Baffled

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A series of “unidentified” drones have been spotted hovering over the Washington D.C. military base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth live, prompting the U.S. government to consider relocating them.

The military is closely monitoring potential threats to senior government figures amid the Trump administration’s war on Iran, but according to a Washington Post report, the origin of the drones that have breached the airspace above Fort Lesley J. McNair remains a mystery.

The newspaper spoke to three people briefed on the matter, who, on condition of anonymity, said multiple sightings occurred on a single night within the past 10 days, prompting an immediate security review and a White House meeting on how to respond.

The incidents come at a moment of heightened alert as the U.S. and Israel continue striking Iran and the drone activity over McNair coincides with a broader tightening of security across the U.S. military.

Several domestic bases have raised their force‑protection levels to “Charlie,” a designation used when commanders have intelligence indicating a possible attack. Joint Base McGuire‑Dix‑Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida – home to U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations against Iran – were both escalated to Charlie this week. (Read more from “Drones Hovering above Rubio and Hegseth’s Homes Leave Military Officials Baffled” HERE)

Hegseth: America’s Military Is ‘Already Surpassing’ Last Year’s Recruiting Figures

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The U.S. military is “already surpassing” the recruiting numbers it saw during last year’s recruiting surge, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth disclosed on Monday.

The revelation came during a swearing-in ceremony for new recruits conducted in front of military recruiting stations in Newport News, Virginia. Hegseth officiated the oath for incoming members of the armed services, including new members of the Virginia National Guard.

While acknowledging the Biden-era recruiting crisis, Hegseth noted that the recruiting environment is “exceedingly different today than it was just a year ago following the election of President Trump and the changes we’re making at the War Department.” The secretary went on to reveal that “for this year that we’re entering into,” the military is “already surpassing” last year’s figures.

“We’re setting new records at the War Department of historic recruitment of men and women wanting to join the ranks, and you’re a part of that. So, congratulations,” Hegseth said.

The secretary did not provide specific numbers during his remarks. (Read more from “Hegseth: America’s Military Is ‘Already Surpassing’ Last Year’s Recruiting Figures” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr