Pentagon insiders have torn into self-styled “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth for his deranged rants about Iran.
Four military and three civilian officials at his department told the Daily Mail that confidence in Pentagon Pete was already low, but his performance since “Operation Epic Fury” kicked off at the end of February has led to him being “hated.”
In an attempt to portray a tough-guy image, the tatted former Fox & Friends host has rolled off a series of toe-curling wartime platitudes without ever going into any tangible detail about how the conflict might end. “We negotiate with bombs,” he declared last month.
The remarks landed awkwardly with the public, who, polling shows, detest the war. And now, his own colleagues are slamming him as “reckless.”
“Nobody… wants a leader licking his lips about a major regional conflict,” a civilian official said. Others worried what this rhetoric could do to recruitment potential. “Imagine being a parent hearing him sounding like we take war lightly. Are you going to let your 18-year-old enlist?” one said.
They took particular umbrage with his comments at the first Pentagon Christian worship service since the Iran war began. At the live-streamed gathering of civilian employees and uniformed military personnel last week, he said: “Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”
Officials have complained that he made the conflict sound like a holy war, and that he came across as “hotheaded,” “bloodthirsty,” and “feral.”
“It rattled me, his lack of equanimity, his disregard for the kind of professionalism you need in that position, especially during a war,” an Army official told the Daily Mail.
“It rattled me to the core. I think that’s true for a lot of folks in the building.”
Another Pentagon official complained that Hegseth is tainting the image of right-minded members of the department. “We strive, we have always strived to be principled, not vicious… He’s making us seem like monsters,” they said.
Officials even lamented the code name of the war in Iran, “Operation Epic Fury.” They think that it denotes rage rather than strategic thinking.
All seven insiders spoke on condition of anonymity, citing a Hegseth-led clampdown on leakers at the department.
Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran, has revamped the Pentagon in his image. He has taken particular issue with the media, culling seasoned journalists and replacing them with hand-picked lackeys. He often moans about the press in his addresses.
He has also faced scrutiny for limiting information shared with Congress, even Republican allies.
Hegseth has removed the top judge advocate generals of the Army, Navy, and Air Force and, on Thursday, the highest-ranking U.S. Army officer, General Randy George, was forced to retire.
This free-wheeling approach has whittled away necessary experience, insiders have complained.
“His timing boggles the mind,” one said, pointing out that Hegseth often focuses on fringe issues like gender, religion, grooming rules, and threats to cut support for Scouting America.
Hegseth’s patchy past has long been a source of concern. As soon as he was announced as Trump’s defense secretary pick, he was under intense scrutiny. A number of reports detailed his past exploits—including allegations of sexual assault, lecherous behavior, anti-Muslim sentiments, binge drinking, and a history of mismanaging veterans organizations.
The Daily Mail sources cited these concerns, and a female Army officer described “a pervasive vibe of gender and racial discrimination” within the ranks with him at the helm. On gender and ethnicity, she decried what his leadership had brought—saying that it has prompted a mental shift towards women and people of color being viewed as inferior, and the beneficiaries of diversity initiatives, not merit.
“If I had to guess, I’d say he’s more hated in the building than outside it,” one insider said.
Another added: “This guy’s going to get our people killed.” “More than 2 million Americans in uniform… hinge on this clown we have as secretary,” another said. “God help us through a war he seems so giddy about. God help all of us get through this in one piece.”
The Defense Department has been approached for comment.
