Pete Hegseth

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Defense Officials Weigh In on Hegseth Meeting: 'Could Have Been an Email'

Event draws criticism for timing, tone, and focus on domestic roles

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's attempt to rally America's military brass at Quantico Tuesday seems to have fizzled, with many officials left questioning why hundreds of generals were summoned in person—just hours ahead of the government shutdown . "Could have been an email," shrugged one of...

Trump to Generals: I've Never Had Such a Silent Room

Military brass were following protocol, but president asks them to loosen up

(Newser) - President Trump followed up defense chief Pete Hegseth's speech to the nation's top generals with one of his own, though he didn't lay out any new military initiatives. The president spoke for about 70 minutes and hit a wide range of topics. Some highlights via CNN , the...

Hegseth: 'Era of Politically Correct' Military Is Over

He also rails against 'fat generals,' facial hair, and 'woke' ideology

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed a rare assembly of the top US generals and admirals on Tuesday, though his speech didn't reveal any major surprises. Hegseth reiterated points he has previously made: He wants a less "woke" fighting force and a warrior mentality. Highlights from his speech in...

Top Brass Are Worried About Hegseth's New Strategy

Administration reportedly drafts plan shifting Pentagon's priorities away from China, Europe

(Newser) - Top military leaders—including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—have registered serious concerns with the Trump administration's planned change in defense strategy ahead of the meeting involving hundreds of generals and admirals , Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and President Trump scheduled for Tuesday in Virginia. Current and...

Trump's Decision to Go Upends Security for Generals Meeting

Secret Service has to take over protection for the event at Quantico

(Newser) - Word has gone out from the White House that President Trump plans to attend the hastily called meeting of hundreds of the nation's top generals and admirals on Tuesday, a gathering ordered last week by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said he'll address the brass. Trump's decision...

Possible Agenda Items Emerge for Generals Meeting

Hegseth may talk about the 'warrior ethos,' administration officials say

(Newser) - In the absence of an explanation for ordering hundreds of generals and admirals to Virginia to hear from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, possible agenda items are being floated. The mystery only deepened in the Oval Office on Thursday when reporters asked about the meeting. "I think it'...

Hegseth: Wounded Knee Soldiers Will Keep Medals

'We salute their memory,' he says of troops involved in 1890 Lakota Sioux massacre

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that he has decided that the 20 soldiers who received the Medal of Honor for their actions in 1890 at Wounded Knee will keep their awards. "This decision is now final, and their place in our nation's history is no longer up...

Hegseth Summons Top Brass for Mysterious Meeting

Generals from around the world have been called to Virginia at short notice

(Newser) - Generals will gather in their masses in Virginia next week—but unlike witches at black masses, the reason for the meeting is unclear. The Washington Post , citing "more than a dozen people familiar with the matter," reports that with no explanation and little warning, Defense Secretary Pete...

Military's New Facial Hair Rule May Mostly Affect Black Men
Military's New Facial Hair Rule
May Mostly Affect Black Men
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Sep 21, 2025 2:25 PM CDT

Military's New Facial Hair Rule May Mostly Affect Black Men

Most hair exemptions are issued for condition that disproportionately affects Black men

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that troops who need an exemption from shaving their facial hair for longer than a year should get kicked out of the service, the AP reports. While commanders are still able to issue service members exemptions from shaving—a policy that has existed for...

Marines Recruiter Ousted Over Charlie Kirk Post

Pentagon warns troops over comments celebrating Kirk's assassination; other firings also emerge

(Newser) - A Marine Corps recruiter has been dismissed after sharing a social media post referring to the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a "racist man" who was "popped," following a wave of online scrutiny and even warnings from the Pentagon. The post, which circulated widely among...

Trump Will Rebrand the DOD the Department of War

President plans to sign an executive order Friday, but will need an act of Congress to make it official

(Newser) - President Trump plans to sign an executive order Friday to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War, his latest effort to project an image of toughness for America's military. The Republican president can't formally change the name without legislation, which his administration would request from...

Hegseth Fires Top Pentagon Intelligence Official

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse's agency had said Iran strike damaged but didn't destroy targets

(Newser) - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has dismissed Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, in a move officials attributed Friday to a "loss of confidence." The firing continues the Trump administration's purge of top national security officials, the Washington Post reports. Kruse oversaw...

National Guard Troops in DC Will Carry Firearms

Trump calls crackdown on crime a 'miracle'

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington, DC, to carry firearms, per the AP . The Pentagon didn't offer further details or explain the move, but Friday's order applies to members of the DC National Guard called up by President Trump as...

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...

Confederate Monument Is Going Back Into Arlington

Restoration will run $10M, Army official says

(Newser) - Restoring a memorial to the Confederacy that was removed from Arlington National Cemetery at the recommendation of Congress will cost roughly $10 million, an Army official said Wednesday—the latest development in a Trump administration effort to combat what it calls "erasing American history." Once back in the...

Pope Leo Is Winning the Newsmakers Popularity Contest

Pontiff tops Gallup list of prominent US, world figures, with 57% favorable approval rating

(Newser) - Sorry, Volodymyr—Pope Leo XIV is a bit more popular than you. Gallup has a new survey out listing the favorability ratings for more than a dozen prominent US and world luminaries, and the new pontiff comes in at No. 1, with a 57% favorable rating (11% unfavorable, 31% no...

White House to Hegseth: No More Polygraphs

Top adviser who has clout with Trump complained about the leak investigations

(Newser) - Defense secretary Pete Hegseth's attempt to root out Pentagon leakers with polygraph tests have been abruptly halted—by the White House. The Washington Post reports that the tests were scrapped after a senior adviser to Hegseth complained. The adviser, Patrick Weaver—considered a staunch ally of President Trump...

Army Ends Shaving Waivers for Troops With Skin Conditions
Army: No More Long-Term
Shaving Waivers
in case you missed it
Jul 13, 2025 3:32 PM CDT

Army: No More Long-Term Shaving Waivers

Critics say move will disproportionately affect Black soldiers with skin conditions

(Newser) - The US Army is rolling out a new policy that will gradually end permanent medical waivers allowing soldiers to grow beards due to skin conditions—a move critics say could hit Black service members hardest. The skin issue at the center of the debate is pseudofolliculitis barbae—commonly known...

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...

Sources Pin Ukraine Weapons Pause Squarely on Hegseth

CNN cites 5 unnamed sources in its reporting

(Newser) - The White House got no heads up before Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth halted US weapons shipments to Ukraine last week , five sources tell CNN —a move that surprised top officials and sparked confusion as Trump's team reportedly scrambled to understand and explain the decision. President Trump publicly...

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