As the U.S. enters the second week of full-scale war with Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is spending his Saturday cracking jokes in the hopes of pleasing the president in South Florida.
Hegseth joined Trump at the “Shield of Americas Summit” at the president’s hotel in Doral, Florida, to launch the administration’s new “Western hemisphere” initiative. Trump put Kristi Noem in charge of the new side quest after he fired her from her role as Department of Homeland Security Secretary.
After Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke at the event, Trump joked, “Is he better in Spanish or in English? I think he’s better in Spanish, I mean, it’s great.”
“Mr. President, I only speak American,” Hegseth attempted to joke as he took the stage.
Trump did not respond to the line and instead focused on fixing his suit jacket. Hegseth looked back to see if he got the boss’s approval — which he did not — and then settled on laughing with Rubio.
“Well, Mr. President, it’s an honor to be here, and to establish in this hemisphere peace through strength,” Hegseth said after the brief debacle.
“We share cultures, Western Christian civilization, we share these things together. We have to have the courage to defend it,” he rambled, before adding, “And we have a commander in chief, who’s set that compass heading.”
Hegseth then made a confusing argument that Trump, who has dubbed himself the “Peace President,” was still striving for world peace, even though Trump just one week ago launched a full-out war in the Middle East.
Earlier Saturday, Trump indicated he would ramp up attacks in Iran, saying the country would be “hit very hard,” and that “areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time,” would be targeted as well.
Trump has privately expressed interest in sending U.S. troops into Iran, NBC News reported. Hegseth additionally said on Thursday that there is “no shortage of American will” to sustain military operations in Iran.
“Our will is ironclad, which means our timeline is ours and ours alone to control,” he said.
Six service members have died so far in the war, and more than 1,300 Iranians have been killed. Trump is expected to visit a Delaware air base later on Saturday for the dignified transfer of the six service members killed.
Earlier this week, Hegseth lamented that the media had covered the troops’ deaths, complaining that it gives the Trump administration negative press.
“When a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front page news,” he ranted. “I get it. The press only wants to make the president look bad.”
