In recent weeks, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been the target of many criticisms and attacks about his competence. His opponents will have you believe they are condemning him because of errors he made since he’s been in office. However, those are meant to distract from the primary reason behind Hegseth’s criticisms: jealousy and dislike for the social values Hegseth represents, and that he is a so-called MAGA Republican.
Hegseth’s speech at the Army War College on Wednesday showed why his opponents want him gone. He goes against everything they believe in. Hegseth is eliminating all that liberals and Democrats hold near and dear to their hearts, and they cannot stand it.
“The message to our adversaries in these first 100 days in office has been undeniably clear — America is back,” Hegseth said. “At the Defense Department, that means no more distractions, no more social engineering, no more climate change worship, no more electric tanks, no more gender confusion, no more pronouns, no more excuses, no more quotas, and no more woke bullshit that undermines commanders and command climates.”
This is the real reason they hate Hegseth and want him gone.
If Hegseth were a member of the Biden administration, every excuse possible would be used to cover for his supposed errors, mishaps, and controversies. There would be a national media campaign suggesting that it was a minor infraction not worthy of any significant scrutiny. Look at how Democrats and legacy media handled the inefficiencies and cataclysmal failures of former “border czar” Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas regarding illegal immigration and border security. These were two problems that legitimately threatened national security and led to the harming of innocent citizens.
Sure, people would have you believe that the Signal chat controversies and the possible national security vulnerabilities that supposedly stemmed from them are why there are calls for Hegseth’s removal. But that is all hyperbolic noise meant to influence and manipulate public opinion. Hegseth’s (and Trump’s) opponents hope to create enough performative outrage that Trump will deem Hegseth an unnecessary distraction and eventually remove him from his position.
But let’s be clear about why they want him removed. It’s not because of the Signal chat incident or any threats to national security that the Signal chat may have caused. It’s because they want to embarrass President Donald Trump politically and remove the person leading the charge to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the Department of Defense.
First, a Trump firing of Hegseth, especially early in his second term, would reflect poorly on the president and give credence to the claims that Trump is incompetent and chaotic. Second, Hegseth has been adamant about reshaping the military to fit his vision of intelligent, fit, ambitious, physical warriors that the whole world should fear. Moreover, he wants the military to be comprised of service members who achieved their successes, positions, and ranks through a meritocracy and not radical left-wing ideological programs such as DEI. Having Hegseth removed would be a 2-for-1 political victory for MAGA detractors.
Are there things Hegseth needs to improve upon? Sure, and I would argue that even Hegseth would admit this. However, he has only been Secretary of Defense since Jan. 25. Not even two months into his term, detractors were looking to force Hegseth’s resignation because of some mishaps, a standard that nearly every presidential administration has not been held to. These errors are amplified even more, given legacy media’s sympathies and ideological alignment.
Objectively speaking, many would try to make it a big story if Hegseth sneezed the wrong way. And let’s not forget the attacks bestowed upon him during his confirmation hearing, especially criticisms of his infidelity. In arguably one of the most significant moments of lacking self-awareness in U.S. Senate history, Democrats linked cheating on a spouse with the ability to do a federal government job effectively. They have been after Hegseth since before he was head of the Pentagon.
Consider the Signal chat controversy. Liberals, Democrats, and the Trump administration’s political opponents were looking for Hegseth’s scalp even though the whole ordeal was primarily the fault of national security adviser Mike Waltz. Yet, somehow, Waltz’s error became Hegseth’s fault, and the attacks began, as did the calls for his resignation. All of them were disingenuous and agenda-driven antics with hopes of achieving the abovementioned outcomes.
Next, consider the name the left-wing agitprops have bestowed upon Hegseth’s most recent supposed controversy — Whiskey Leaks. The nomenclature is supposed to be a reference to accusations of Hegseth’s alcoholism, despite there being no evidence that alcohol had anything to do with any of this. It was all made up to smear Hegseth, try to embarrass him, and then use this humiliation to discredit the secretary of defense.
HEGSETH TURNS TO HIS MISSION TO RESHAPE THE MILITARY
These are not serious people. They are aggressive, agenda-driven people. Furthermore, if Hegseth’s mishap were as serious a problem as his detractors claim, it would not be linked to such immature insults as “whiskey leaks.” They resort to such tactics because they are catchy for the public and the Democratic base, not because of their validity. The same people pushing for Hegseth’s ouster are the same people who promoted political narratives such as “the border is secure” and “Joe Biden is mentally fit for office.”
Everyone should want to ensure that the nation’s secretary of defense uses secure communication that geopolitical foes cannot compromise. But if Hegseth were a Democrat or a Biden administration official and not a Republican, especially a MAGA Republican, this would be a non-issue. Let’s pump the brakes before continuing the over-the-top “outrage” and calling for Hegseth’s resignation. And let’s start by acknowledging the real reason behind the attacks.