'He's too stupid': Rumors swirl after Pete Hegseth's new comment mocking a general

After the news was announced that generals, admirals, and other top military officials had to travel to Washington for a meeting, one retired general recalled a similar action in 1930s Germany.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered all top military leaders to attend a meeting on Tuesday, sparking concerns and questions from retired military personnel and experts who fear he's putting the brass in danger.

Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges wrote on X, "July 1935 German generals were called to a surprise assembly in Berlin and informed that their previous oath to the Weimar constitution was void and that they would be required to swear a personal oath to the Führer. Most generals took the new oath to keep their positions."

Hegseth reposted it with his own commentary, "Cool story, General."

It's from the meme quote, "cool story, bro," which is generally slang for something being dull or inconsequential.

For some, however, it prompted even more confusion and alarm.

There was the usual flood of mockery, featuring memes of Hegseth with bottles of Jack Daniels, labeling him "a DUI hire," or Ralph from "The Simpsons" with tattoos.

Paul Rieckhoff, the founder of Independent Veterans for America, was quick to explain to his followers that the post was real and not a joke. Washington Post Military Affairs reporter Dan Lamothe also confirmed the authenticity.

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who was also in the Air National Guard, wrote, "Hegseth is serious!! He’s not just a tv host that was a major that got this job and he’s completely clueless so he does pull ups to mask his absolute insecurity. He def not calling all the generals so that he feels big and strong!! No it’s def for something important. Not to mask insecurity."

Kinzinger has been mocking Hegseth after he struggled to do a proper pull-up, which is part of the new mandate for public school children.

Libertarian scholar and author Tom G. Palmer commented, "Hegseth will be purged eventually. Like others who create dictatorships for megalomaniacs. He’s too stupid to know it."

"Aside from how utterly deranged it is to even make light of this, he's not mocking some reporter or pundit by calling him 'General.' Ben Hodges is a real three-star general, he was the commander of the US Army in Europe before he retired. In other words, he's worked with a lot of Germans soldiers," noted election law expert Andy Craig on Bluesky.

"Pete Hegseth is praising a story about German generals being gathered to swear loyalty to Hitler as Hegseth prepares to gather all the generals in the US for a meeting. Not beating those nazi allegations," commented Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law.