defense secretary

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Pentagon Sending Aircraft Carrier to South America

It's the latest US military escalation in the region

(Newser) - Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Friday the military is deploying an aircraft carrier to the waters off South America, a move the Washington Post describes as a "major escalation" of the US military presence in the region. Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to...

Hegseth Shares Clip About Women Needing to 'Submit'

DOD chief retweets video of Christian extremists chatting about repealing women's right to vote

(Newser) - The man who oversees the nation's military reposted a video about a Christian nationalist church that included various pastors saying women should no longer be allowed to vote. The extraordinary repost on X from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, made Thursday night, illustrates his deep and personal connection to a...

GOP Senator Offers Withering Assessment of Hegseth

Defense secretary seems to be 'out of his depth,' says Thom Tillis

(Newser) - A Republican senator has offered an unusually harsh critique of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though it's a Republican senator who no longer has much to fear about crossing the Trump administration. North Carolina's Thom Tillis, who voted to confirm Hegseth, said the following to CNN anchor Jake...

Hegseth Scolds Media, a Fox Reporter Especially

'Jennifer, you've been about the worst,' defense chief says, referring to reporting on Iran

(Newser) - Defense chief Pete Hegseth scolded the media on Thursday for playing up a leaked preliminary assessment of the Iran airstrikes, one that suggested a relatively mild setback to Tehran's nuclear program. And during the press conference, he went after a former colleague at Fox News in particular, reports the...

Watchdog Probes if Pentagon Staffers Deleted Signal Texts

Inspector general also wants to know who had access to Secretary Hegseth's phone

(Newser) - A Pentagon watchdog is looking into whether any of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's aides were asked to delete Signal messages that may have shared sensitive military information with a reporter, per two people familiar with the investigation and documents reviewed by the AP . The inspector general's request focuses...

Trump: Hegseth Is 'Doing a Great Job'

GOP lawmaker says defense secretary should be fired over latest reports of Signal leak

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is rumored to be in danger of losing his job over the latest reports of sensitive information being shared in a Signal chat, but President Trump said Monday that he is "doing a great job. Just ask the Houthis how he's doing." Trump,...

Hegseth Is Overhauling Military's JAG Legal Corps

Aim is to loosen restrictions on battlefield decisions

(Newser) - New defense chief Pete Hegseth plans a fundamental overhaul of the military's legal system to give soldiers more leeway on the battlefield, reports the Guardian . Hegseth took the first step last month by firing the top legal officers for the Army, Air Force, and Navy—the judge advocates general...

Pentagon Reverts Another Military Base's Name

Fort Moore is once again Fort Benning (but not that Benning)

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has, for the second time , reversed the renaming of a US military base, saying that Fort Moore in Georgia should revert back to being called Fort Benning, the AP reports. The move reflects an ongoing effort by the Pentagon to overturn the Biden administration's 2023...

Pete Hegseth Confirmed as Defense Secretary

Senate clears him in dramatic 51-50 vote, with VP Vance casting the tie-breaker

(Newser) - The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation's defense secretary Friday in a dramatic late-night vote, swatting back questions about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women, per the AP . Vice President JD Vance had to cast the tie-breaking vote,...

Ahead of Friday Vote, Hegseth's Odds Look Strong

Senate expected to confirm him as the next defense secretary

(Newser) - Barring a last-minute surprise, it looks like Pete Hegseth will be the next defense secretary after all. The Senate is on track to vote on his confirmation Friday evening, and the former Fox host appears to have the support he needs, reports the New York Times .
  • Republicans were able to
...

2 Republicans Oppose Hegseth Nomination

Final confirmation vote is expected Friday or Saturday

(Newser) - Pete Hegseth cleared a key Senate vote to advance his nomination Thursday, but it was a near thing—two Republican senators joined Democrats in voting against him, making it 51 to 49. A final vote on confirming Hegseth as defense secretary is expected late Friday or early Saturday, ABC News...

Watchdog: Austin Needlessly Risked National Security

Defense secretary kept hospitalizations secret from White House, top defense officials

(Newser) - The Pentagon's internal watchdog says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "unnecessarily" increased risks to national security by keeping his illness and hospitalizations secret in late 2023 and early 2024. In a report released after a yearlong investigation , the office of the Pentagon's inspector general criticized Austin and his...

5 Takeaways From the Hegseth Hearing

Joni Ernst, considered a key Republican vote, says he has her support

(Newser) - Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's nominee for defense secretary, was grilled by members of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday about issues including his views on women in combat. Some takeaways from the often testy confirmation hearing:
  • He probably has enough votes. "None of his answers seemed to disturb
...

'I Do Not Believe That You Are Qualified'

Pete Hegseth, defense nominee grilled at Senate hearing, cites a 'smear campaign' against him

(Newser) - Pete Hegseth was getting grilled on Capitol Hill Tuesday in his confirmation hearing to be the next defense secretary. At the same time, the former Fox host defended himself against what he calls a "smear campaign" by the media. Some early highlights:
  • Critic: "I do not believe that
...

Hegseth: I'll Restore 'Warrior Ethos' to Pentagon
Hegseth: I'll Restore
'Warrior Ethos' to Pentagon
the rundown
Jan 14, 2025 6:34 AM CST

Hegseth: I'll Restore 'Warrior Ethos' to Pentagon

Confirmation hearings begin Tuesday for controversial nominee

(Newser) - The confirmation hearing for one of the highest-profile of President-elect Trump's nominees gets underway in DC on Tuesday—former Fox host Pete Hegseth, who may become the next defense secretary.
  • 'Warrior ethos:' The 44-year-old Army vet will promise to restore "the warrior ethos to the Pentagon"
...

Graham: Hegseth to Free Accuser From NDA

SC senator says he's a tentative 'yes' on ex-Fox News host leading DOD, despite sex assault claim

(Newser) - Pete Hegseth's path to becoming secretary of defense has seen multiple obstacles, including a 2017 sexual assault allegation and an unflattering email from his own mother . On the latter, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham says Hegseth is ready to make a big move—releasing his accuser in that case from...

Pete Hegseth's Chances Have Suddenly Improved
How Pete Hegseth's Chances
Have Suddenly Improved
the rundown
Dec 10, 2024 6:54 AM CST

How Pete Hegseth's Chances Have Suddenly Improved

Skeptical GOP senator, Joni Ernst, signals support after fierce backlash

(Newser) - A week ago, it seemed that Pete Hegseth's chances of becoming the next defense secretary were doomed, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis floated as a possible replacement . Things look much different now, however, after what Punchbowl News describes as a "vibe shift" on Capitol Hill in favor of...

Pete Hegseth Says He's 'Not Going Anywhere'

He vows to abstain from alcohol as defense secretary to woo hesitant senators

(Newser) - "We're not going anywhere," Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday as he tried to convince lawmakers to back his bid to become defense secretary. "I spoke to the president this morning, he supports me fully," said the former Fox News host. President-elect Trump is reportedly considering...

Report: Hegseth's Fox Colleagues Worried About His Drinking

Co-workers anonymously describe behavior they found concerning

(Newser) - Pete Hegseth was hit with another controversial report Tuesday. Ten current and former Fox News employees tell NBC News that during Hegseth's tenure as a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend—which started in 2017 and ended after President-elect Trump announced Hegseth as his choice to lead the Defense...

Senators Back Hegseth as Another Controversy Is Revealed

Member of Trump's inner circle was apparently no fan of Hegseth's years back

(Newser) - The controversy around Pete Hegseth is growing. Sources tell CBS News that back in 2016, allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual misconduct, a toxic workplace environment, and alcohol problems including public intoxication led to a group of Republicans pushing to remove Hegseth as head of a charity for veterans. Hegseth started...

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