A coalition of furious Pentagon officials is preparing to publicly blast Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a blistering letter demanding his ouster, according to a new report.
The group of Department of Defense personnel — spanning every military branch except the Coast Guard — has been quietly drafting their bombshell missive since May, with one official telling the Daily Mail they want to "let the American public know this guy has no clue what he's doing."
The letter reportedly tears into Hegseth over what officials describe as "politicized managerial decisions, dysfunction across multiple divisions, poor morale among both military and civilian staff, and an atmosphere of paranoia" as the defense secretary allegedly works to "stamp out dissent and plug leaks."
But it's Hegseth's apparent obsession with his public image that has particularly rankled Pentagon insiders. Officials slammed his installation of a makeup studio at DOD headquarters and his regular photo ops working out with troops.
"He has branded himself the epitome of his so-called 'warrior ethos' that he's always talking about," one source told the Mail, adding that Hegseth has turned the Pentagon into "a cross between a sweat lodge and WWE."
The frustrated officials also hammered Hegseth for ignoring advice from senior military and civilian staff, particularly citing his decision to deploy roughly 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles during recent ICE protests.
"Nobody in the building thought that was a wise idea," another staff member revealed.
The sources — all of whom have worked at the Pentagon for at least two decades — also blasted Hegseth's crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion programs, saying it has led to "far more" racist incidents and left non-white colleagues feeling "like they're being looked at as if they don't deserve their positions."
The officials spoke anonymously to the Daily Mail, citing fears of losing their jobs, facing prosecution by the Trump administration, or being replaced by "inexperienced colleagues less willing to challenge Hegseth's leadership."
While the letter's text has been finalized, its release may be delayed as authors debate whether only a few should sign and "face the consequences alone" or find ways to protect other potential signatories' identities.
The group has reportedly consulted with PR advisers, tech consultants and community organizers on how to maximize the letter's impact.
Chief DOD spokesman Sean Parnell dismissed the brewing revolt as mere "palace intrigue" and "sensationalized mainstream media gossip" that Americans won't "care about."
"Secretary Hegseth has successfully reoriented the Department of Defense to put the interests of America's Warfighters and America's taxpayers first, and it has never been better positioned to execute on its mission than it is today," Parnell claimed. "The DoD's historic accomplishments thus far are proof of Secretary Hegseth's bold leadership and commitment to the American people and our men and women in uniform."
