'Kiss of death': Ex-Trump lawyer says Hegseth 'lit the fuse' on his own demise

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is about to be hit by Donald Trump's fury, according to the president's ex-lawyer.

Former Trump attorney and "fixer" Michael Cohen on Thursday weighed in on Substack, publishing a piece called, "Hegseth Failed Trump: Now Comes the Punishment," in which he argues that, "Trump doesn’t just fire people; he obliterates them."

"Pete Hegseth broke the first rule of survival in Trumpworld: never make the boss look weak or irrelevant," Cohen said.

Speaking from his past experiences under Trump, Cohen said, "Let me tell you something I know with unshakable certainty; carved into my psyche by years as Trump’s fixer, forged through betrayal, prosecution, and proximity to power. I sat across from him in his gold-trimmed office, day after day, watching how the man operates. Here’s the rule everyone learns the hard way: Donald Trump does not tolerate surprises. Not from enemies, not from allies, and sure as hell not from people he put in power."

According to Cohen, who served as a witness in Trump's criminal trial where the then-ex-president was convicted, "That’s why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just lit the fuse on his own political self-destruction."

"He crossed the line. Again. Not in a policy way; not in some debate over strategy or logistics. No, Hegseth’s sin was far worse in Trumpworld: he acted without asking, and in doing so, he made Trump look small, uninformed, and; worst of all, weak," Cohen added. "That’s the one thing Trump can’t stomach. I’ve seen him cut people loose for less. Much less."

Cohen went as far as to call Hegseth's actions "the kiss of death."

"Last week, while Ukraine was under siege from Russian missiles and Iranian drones, Hegseth; without notifying the White House, authorized a pause on weapons deliveries. Let that sink in. He held up U.S. military aid to an active war zone, during a moment of crisis, while Trump was shaking hands and cutting deals. Five sources confirmed it. The result? Total panic inside the administration. Trump’s team scrambled to figure out what the hell just happened, Congress wanted answers, and Kyiv was blindsided," he said. "And Trump? He was caught flat-footed. Blindsided. Humiliated. That's the kiss of death."

Read the full piece here.