All posts tagged "department of defense"

Elite Pentagon Marine appears on podcast that called for Hegseth's execution

A decorated Marine Corps colonel assigned to the Joint Staff at the Pentagon appeared on a podcast co-hosted by his brother that promotes antisemitism, white supremacy and political violence — including one segment that appeared to call for the execution of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Col. Thomas M. Siverts appeared on The Berm Pit podcast in March 2023. The 40-minute video shows Siverts discussing his career as a Marine Corps officer with his younger brother, Scott Siverts, the podcast co-host.

In a separate episode recorded in late 2024, the younger Siverts and co-host Matt Wakulik discuss how they would grade President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks.

“Why don’t we grade them on a scale of how many bullets I put in their head,” Wakulik proposed, as Scott Siverts laughed.

When Siverts named Hegseth, a soldier turned Fox News host and controversial cabinet pick, Wakulik said: “Six bullets. I’d have to put another one in there after I emptied the whole chamber — or the whole cylinder.”

Wakulik, a Pittsburgh-area resident, regularly espouses antisemitic views. Citing perceived failures in relation to the Jeffrey Epstein case and other conspiracy-adjacent fixations, he has said Donald Trump should be executed and FBI Director Kash Patel tortured.

In the segment about Hegseth, Wakulik also advocated execution for senior Trump administration officials including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

Only Tom Homan, architect of Trump’s draconian deportations policy, would be spared.

Considering Hegseth, Wakulik also disparaged his support for Israel.

Siverts said: “The only problem with that is when you have dual allegiance — well, it’s Biblical, right? You can’t serve two masters.”

Scott Siverts told Raw Story that to some extent he understood why people would be outraged about the segment.

“It’s distasteful, off-putting, inflammatory,” he said. “Matt did it on the fly. He takes it to the next level, and I kind of laugh at it.”

While noting that The Berm Pit hasn’t produced a new episode since June 5, Siverts said he planned to scrub political content off the internet and sell the podcast to two active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton in California.

Citing reputational harm and strained family relationships due to public backlash against his and Wakulik’s rhetoric, Siverts said his decision to quit the podcast was also motivated by concern that he would be held liable if someone in his audience carried out a violent act.

“I’m agreeing with your position that some rhetoric probably will radicalize people, which is why I’m stepping away from the podcast,” Siverts told Raw Story. “I understand the backlash I’ve received.”

Raw Story also reached out to Col. Thomas Siverts. Reached by phone, and asked if he was aware that the podcast his brother co-hosts had featured a discussion about executing Hegseth, Col. Siverts hung up.

The Joint Staff Public Affairs office at the Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment about Col. Siverts’ podcast appearance.

Scott Siverts said that following public backlash against the podcast including a successful campaign to get him fired from his job as a bar manager at Mario’s Saloon in Pittsburgh, his brother called to find out what the controversy was about. Scott Siverts said he offered to take down the episode featuring his brother.

“Nah, leave it up,” Col. Thomas Siverts said, according to Scott. “There’s nothing wrong with what we said. I didn’t serve my country and risk my life so you couldn’t have the freedom of speech. I like the episode. If they come after me at some point, I don’t care. It’s free speech.”

Matt Wakulik, an antisemitic podcaster and self-proclaimed militia leader, carried an AR-15 at a pro-Second Amendment rally in Richmond, Va. in January 2020. Anthony Crider

At the time of his interview with his brother in March 2023, Col. Thomas Siverts was commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, stationed at Camp Pendleton. A communications officer with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit listened to the interview in real time and approved it for publication, Scott Siverts told Raw Story.

The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit could not be reached for comment.

Scott Siverts said his brother’s interview took place before the podcast took an explicitly political turn. Two months earlier, though, Siverts had hosted Wakulik, who would become his co-host, as a guest.

In an episode titled “The Militia Man,” the two discussed Wakulik’s unsuccessful run for Allegheny County sheriff, which drew controversy over his paramilitary group wearing patches displaying the Valknut, a symbol associated with white supremacy.

‘Lotta big projects’

While a spokesperson for the Joint Staff declined to confirm that Col. Siverts is employed there, Scott Siverts confirmed to Raw Story that his brother is currently assigned to the Pentagon.

Col. Siverts discussed his Pentagon assignment in an August 2024 interview for the 4 Years a Slave podcast, its title referring to the standard length of a U.S. military active-duty commitment.

“I’m on the Joint Staff, so I get to see some of the inner workings of how the Joint Staff supports the chairmen and SecDef and carrying out strategic objectives,” Col. Siverts said.

The Joint Staff includes representatives of all branches of the military, and assists Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in maintaining the integration of all combatant forces. Caine is the principal military advisor to President Donald Trump. In June, Caine stood alongside Hegseth and addressed reporters about the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“Lotta big projects going on,” Siverts said on the 4 Years a Slave podcast. “You got everything going from, you know, current what’s going on in the world today to guys working programs 10, 15 years — maybe even longer than that — years out.”

As commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Siverts’ operational focus was enhancing U.S. national security posture in Southeast Asia, where China has long been considered the primary geopolitical rival.

Siverts received the Legion of Merit “for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services as a commanding officer” of the unit, which deployed for exercises with allies in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.

“What they did there was absolutely amazing and gave our great nation a strategic hedge in the battle that’s going on in the Pacific and competition,” a Marine Corps officer said during the change of command ceremony at Camp Lejeune in June 2024.

The officer hailed Siverts’ unit for standing up a “credible, combat-capable force” that “can flip a switch and they can start laying down lead and stacking bodies, if need be, and offer a credible deterrent to any adversary foolish enough to threaten the United States citizens or our interests.”

Siverts’ Legion of Merit lauded him for fostering “meaningful interaction, mutual trust and respect” with allies and for “genuine passion for professional development and welfare of the Marines and sailors under his charge.”

Scott Siverts also served in the Marine Corps. His podcast’s name references an earthen mound surrounding a pit on a firing range.

“I’ve always looked up to you. You’ve been a role model for me, and you’re the reason I joined the Marine Corps, too, and enlisted right out of high school,” Scott Siverts said of his brother in their interview, adding that he was his “third-biggest fan,” after Col. Siverts’ wife and daughter.

Scott Siverts said he was present when his brother received his officer commission through the Marine Enlisted Commission Education Program at the University of Virginia in 1989 and when he was promoted to colonel at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia in 2021.

‘Allies of Evil’

Col. Siverts’ interview on The Berm Pit did not cover political issues, and his remarks did not give any indication of whether he agrees with his younger brother’s views.

The landing page for the podcast on the video streaming service Rumble features thumbnails for later episodes that clearly point to pro-Hitler, antisemitic stances.

One displays the text “The Allies of Evil,” alongside a photograph of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin. Another states, “General Patton said we fought the wrong enemy,” referring to Gen. George S. Patton, who commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean during World War II.

Another episode, entitled “Remembering 9/11,” shows four men depicted as Jews who appear to be celebrating the attack on the World Trade Center.

In episodes of The Berm Pit which appear to have been recorded after Col. Siverts’ interview, his younger brother expresses agreement with the idea that murder of elected officials with opposing views is justified, and contemplates the possibility of race war.

“I still believe that it is the responsibility of the people to organize against any corrupt politician anywhere — I don’t care if it’s a school board member up to a senator or representative,” Wakulik says, in an episode published in April 2024.

“If they are that corrupt and all this is going on, then they need to be threatened, or actually shoot them in the face. Because violence and the threat of violence is the ultimate deterrent. Where is the lie, Scott Siverts.”

“Uh, no lies detected,” Siverts responds.

In an episode streamed four months ago, Wakulik asks: “If there was a race war between whites and Blacks, where whites still make up 55 percent of the population and Blacks make up 13 [percent], and white as we know are more likely to be not only trained but armed with firearms, if that was to happen … who would win that war, that race war?”

Siverts responds: “Well, I mean, it’s a no-brainer.”

Scott Siverts insisted his brother “does not share” his political views.

“My brother told me he hasn’t voted since 1996,” Siverts added. “He doesn’t get political. He serves the commander in chief, regardless of party. He doesn’t see color, except green for Marines. The last guy he voted for was Bill Clinton.”

Scott Siverts told Raw Story that in summer 2023, he asked his brother about Alan Sabrosky, a retired Marine Corps officer and frequent guest on The Berm Pit, including the “Allies of Evil” episode. When he asked his brother if he knew who Sabrosky was, Scott Siverts told Raw Story, his brother responded, “I think I do. I heard he’s an antisemite.”

Republican senator takes a shot at Trump's 'peace through strength' slogan

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) slammed President Donald Trump's move to "rebrand" the Department of Defense to the Department of War, taking a shot at Trump's "peace through strength" slogan.

"If we call it the Dept. of War, we'd better equip the military to actually prevent and win wars. Can't preserve American primacy if we're unwilling to spend substantially more on our military than Carter or Biden. 'Peace through strength' requires investment, not just rebranding," McConnell posted on X.

The 83-year-old senator and longest-serving Senate party leader has criticized Trump and the growing MAGA wing of the Republican Party.

He warned earlier this week that America was slipping into a time reminiscent of the 1930s, with a similar slogan, "America First," that poised the United States to enter an isolationist period. He has previously warned that it could put the U.S. in a "dangerous" global situation.

The phrase "America First" originated in the 1850s nativist American Party. It was used by President Woodrow Wilson during World War I. And in the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan adopted the slogan.

The president intends to sign an executive order changing the agency's name to the Department of War, which it had been called from 1789 until its 1947 reorganization.

Other critics have called the president's rebrand "a sign of weakness."

"The name 'Department of War' conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to 'Department of Defense,' which emphasizes only defensive capabilities," the executive order says.

“It’s a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now,” Trump said. He called the previous name "woke," according to The Associated Press, adding that it "just sounded better."

Thom Tillis had a chance to serve his country – he blew it

The incompetence of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense is painfully obvious. Former Fox & Friends weekend host Pete Hegseth was never qualified for the job.

Belatedly, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) — who became the key vote to confirm the nominee — admits it.

Tillis squandered a unique opportunity to protect the nation from Hegseth. The country is now paying the price for his cowardice.

Tillis’ reversal

In a phone call with Trump just before Christmas, Tillis promised to support all of Trump’s cabinet picks. But he developed strong reservations about Hegseth — strong enough to participate in a secret effort to kill the nomination. Serious issues about character, statements about barring women in combat, and allegations of sexual misconduct dogged Hegseth. He had none of the qualifications necessary to run the defense department of more than 2 million military and civilian personnel.

Other Republicans — including Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — had similar concerns. And to confirm Hegseth, Trump could afford to lose only three Republican senators. Ernst, a combat veteran who survived a sexual assault, capitulated to pressure from Trump’s supporters who threatened a primary challenge in her upcoming reelection. The other three — Murkowski, Collins, and McConnell — held firm.

That left Tillis. After weeks of coordinating with fellow senators to oppose the nomination, he caved. As with Ernst, the threat of a Trump-endorsed primary challenger lurked. But Tillis attributed his earlier resistance to “vetting” and said that he decided to support Hegseth after conducting “due diligence.”

Even so, his abrupt, 11th-hour reversal from “no” to “yes” surprised Murkowski and Collins. And it positioned Vice President JD Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote that put Hegseth in charge at the Pentagon by one of the narrowest margins of any defense secretary in modern history: 51 to 50.

Hegseth’s scandals

Before long, Hegseth’s incompetence revealed itself.

In his first major overseas appearance on Feb. 12, he “made a rookie mistake,” according to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Hegseth told NATO and Ukrainian ministers that a return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders was “an unrealistic objective” and ruled out NATO membership for Kyiv. Hegseth’s comments gave away Ukraine’s negotiating leverage before cease-fire negotiations with Russia had even begun.

“I don’t know who wrote the speech,” Wicker continued. “[I]t is the kind of thing Tucker Carlson could have written, and Carlson is a fool.”

Then came the “Signalgate” scandal. Hegseth was on a group chat from March 13-15 that inadvertently included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. The chat detailed sensitive information describing the United States’ imminent attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Shortly after that scandal became public came Signalgate II. The New York Times reported that Hegseth himself had shared detailed information about the forthcoming strikes in Yemen on March 15 in a private Signal group chat that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.

According to the Times, “Mr. Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, is not a Defense Department employee, but she has traveled with him overseas and drawn criticism for accompanying her husband to sensitive meetings with foreign leaders.”

“Mr. Hegseth’s brother Phil and Tim Parlatore, who continues to serve as his personal lawyer, both have jobs in the Pentagon, but it is not clear why either would need to know about upcoming military strikes aimed at the Houthis in Yemen.”

There’s more. Recently, the public learned that Hegseth paused U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine without informing Trump. A week later, Trump resumed the shipments.

Tillis’s lamentations

At long last, Tillis found his spine — but only after announcing that he would not seek reelection in 2026. In a July 9 interview on CNN, he admitted the truth about Hegseth: “With the passing of time, I think it’s clear he’s out of his depth as a manager of a large, complex organization.”

As for Hegseth’s unilateral pause on weapons to Ukraine without informing Trump, Tillis said, “That’s just amateurish. That’s from somebody who doesn’t understand large organization dynamics.”

Would Tillis vote to confirm Hegseth today? “Now, I have the information of him being a manager, and I don’t think his probationary period has been very positive.”

In the same interview, Tillis also commented on his affirmative vote for another Trump cabinet member whose incompetence is likewise becoming clear and deadly: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“Quite honestly, the main reason I supported Kennedy was because [Sen.] Bill Cassidy [R-La.] thought that we should see how it plays out,” Tillis said.

That cabinet pick is not playing out very well either. Just ask Sen. Cassidy.

Steven J. Harper is an attorney, adjunct professor at Northwestern University Law School, and author of several books, including Crossing Hoffa -- A Teamster's Story and The Lawyer Bubble -- A Profession in Crisis. He has been a regular columnist for Moyers on Democracy, Dan Rather's News and Guts, and The American Lawyer. Follow him at https://thelawyerbubble.com

'I'm looking forward': GOP senators won't even say embattled Hegseth's name

WASHINGTON — Republican senators may have confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation’s 29th defense secretary, but as Pentagon scandals keep stacking up, powerful U.S. senators are refusing to even discuss the embattled military leader.

In March, congressional Republicans rolled their eyes, joked or laughed nervously after Hegseth added the editor in chief of The Atlantic to a private Signal group chat where war plans were discussed.

Now, many in the GOP now seem dismayed by news Hegseth blocked military aid to Ukraine without telling his boss, President Donald Trump.

“What do you make of the news out of the Pentagon this week about the Ukraine funding?” Raw Story pressed the chair of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. “Is the media making too much out of this? Or is there something to be worried about [in] people in the Pentagon undercutting the president?”

“I just wouldn’t be able to comment,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) said as he hopped the nearest Capitol elevator.

Wicker wasn’t alone. The chair of the formidable Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), also dodged discussing Hegseth.

“Your thoughts on what happened with this Ukraine funding?” Raw Story asked.

“I know where you're going with this,” Risch said, while riding an elevator with Raw Story.

Like Wicker, Risch refused to even utter the defense secretary’s name.

“Talking about the …” Risch stammered. “I don't know anything about that, and I'm looking forward. I know you guys are looking backward. I'm looking forward. Okay?”

“Do you think my colleagues are paying too much attention to this?” Raw Story asked.

“Absolutely, yeah, absolutely,” Risch said, walking on. “There's nothing to be gained by looking backward. There's everything to be gained by looking forward.”

“But you’re not worried about people at the Pentagon trying to undercut the president?”

“Not at all,” Risch replied. “No I'm not. Listen, he knows how to do this stuff.”

Nonetheless, speculation over how President Trump will choose to handle Hegseth is mounting, given the Ukraine aid fiasco is only the latest public misstep from the former Fox News host.

Observers sense change afoot after Trump publicly attacked Russian president Vladimir Putin while greenlighting the Ukraine military package over protests from the MAGA wing of the GOP.

On Capitol Hill, for many on the far-right of the GOP, efforts to block Ukraine military aid are in the rearview mirror.

For years, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) was one of the loudest voices of resistance to funding Ukraine. Not anymore.The former Homeland Security Committee chair says it’s a proverbial new day.

“Curious for your thoughts on the seemingly new Ukraine policy?” Raw Story asked.

“It's kind of recognizing reality,” Johnson said. “I mean, the aggressor here is Putin … President Trump's given him every opportunity like he gave the ayatollahs [in Iran] to come at the table. You know, 'End this war, end your nuclear program.' He's trying to do the same thing.”

What then does Sen. Johnson make of Hegseth cutting military aid without clearing it with the White House?

“I’m not even aware of it,” Johnson said. “So I have no comment on that.”

Other more MAGA-tinged Republicans are also singing a new tune.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), a member of the Homeland Security Committee and a committed America First populist, joined Johnson in vigorously opposing President Joe Biden's efforts to assist Kyiv.

“What is this?” Hawley asked. “I've been asked a lot of Hegseth questions recently.”

Raw Story helped him out: “Is the media making too much of this? It kind of seems like President Trump might have been undercut on Ukraine policy.”

“Well, I mean, listen, I mean, everybody … he [Hegseth] serves at the pleasure of the President. Like, the President wants him gone, he'll be gone,” Hawley said, before entering the Senate chamber.

“But I think he seems to be doing a good job. I don't know. Again, I don't get caught up in cabinet drama.”

“No buyer’s remorse?” Raw Story pressed.

“Well, I mean, I didn’t buy him,” Hawley said. “He’s the president's choice.”

“That’s a nice way to wash your hands of every nominee,” Raw Story said.

“I thought he was qualified to do the job,” Hawley said. “Beyond that, he's the President's choice, which is why I also won't have a meltdown if it's like … ‘Well, the President's gonna change him.’ He can do whatever he wants with his cabinet.”

‘Watch your step’

Democrats — most of whom support funding Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders — are worried over the national security implications of Hegseth’s latest error, even as many sense the president losing faith in his Pentagon chief.

“Well, you better watch your step,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) — the Senate minority whip — told Raw Story. “Doesn't take much to get this president to decide that you're finished.”

Democrats who opposed Hegseth's confirmation are hoping this episode will at least go some way to restrain him.

“If Secretary Hegseth has not figured it out now or figured it out yet, he works for someone,” Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) told Raw Story.

“It appears that this Secretary just wants to be in charge, [to] be the president himself. And you know, I appreciate the President standing up to him and supporting Ukraine in this case.

“But it's very concerning that the Secretary of Defense is making arbitrary decisions without those that he has to work with and report to, namely, Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio as well as the President of the United States.”

As for powerful GOP senators like Wicker and Risch avoiding Hegseth like the plague?

“Turning a blind eye to all of this is not good for our national security, especially when we have responsibilities of oversight. This should be very concerning, and there should be briefings and hearings and gifts or whatever required to be able to get to the bottom of this,” Sen. Luján said.

“Someone needs to have answers.”

This man killed more Americans than anybody in history. Trump's now his toady

Robert E. Lee killed more Americans than Hitler. More than Khrushchev. More than King George III, Ho Chi Minh, or Kim Il Sung. He killed more Americans than we’ve lost in every war since the American Revolution, combined. He was the largest mass murderer of Americans in our nation’s history.

Gen. Lee was not a good man: he was a morbidly rich oligarch who not only bought and sold enslaved human beings but delighted in whipping and torturing them.

Three of the two hundred-plus enslaved people he held at his plantation — Wesley Norris, his sister Mary, and their cousin George Parks — escaped and were captured in nearby Maryland. The report in the March 26, 1866 edition of The New York Daily Tribune, quoting Wesley Norris at length, tells us all about Lee’s proclivities:

“He then ordered us to the barn, where, in his presence, we were tied firmly to posts by a Mr. Gwin, our overseer, who was ordered by Gen. Lee to strip us to the waist and give us fifty lashes each, excepting my sister, who received but twenty; …

“Gen. Lee, in the meantime, stood by, and frequently enjoined Williams to ‘lay it on well,’ an injunction which he did not fail to heed; not satisfied with simply lacerating our naked flesh, Gen. Lee then ordered the overseer to thoroughly wash our backs with [excruciatingly painful saltwater] brine, which was done.”

Fearing Lincoln might end slavery in America, Lee raised an army and tried to use it to end democracy in the United States. He thus committed treason in a way that exceeded even Benedict Arnold’s wildest fantasies. His war killed almost 750,000 men, women, and children, all Americans.

No American has ever betrayed or visited as much violence on this country as severely as did Robert E. Lee.

And so, when Lee lost the war that he’d started against us, the federal government seized his slave plantation and turned it into a cemetery for the Civil War dead. It’s today named Arlington National Cemetery.

So, perhaps it makes perfect sense that the current chief betrayer of the ideals of our nation, convicted felon and Putin toady Donald Trump, would brag to a group of American soldiers that he’s going to rename a military base after Robert E. Lee. (In fact, like others, the renamed base will officially recognize a different Lee.)

Even more shocking, in what’s an astonishing indictment of how our educational system has de-emphasized civics in the years since Reagan and George W. Bush both took an axe to civics education, the assembled soldiers cheered the news that Lee’s name would again desecrate a military facility.

Trump then went on to repeatedly lie to our soldiers, falsely claiming that:

He won the 2020 election which he told them was “rigged and stolen”
He sent the National Guard into Minnesota “and I saved it” during the George Floyd protests, when in fact it was Gov. Tim Walz who did so
He defeated ISIS “in four weeks” — it took two years to liberate the ISIS caliphate
“Nobody wanted to join” the military under Joe Biden, a blatant lie
Countries like “Congo” dumped their prisoners and people from their mental hospitals here, saying, “Their countries would bus them or drive them right to our border and say, ‘Go in there. If you ever come back, we’re going to kill you.’”
He’d brought water to LA during the fires when in fact he’d just ordered a field flooded in northern California, screwing up water allocations for agriculture
Echoed Hitler when he called Los Angeles protestors “animals” and “a foreign enemy.”

And even more disgusting than that, Trump was nakedly using those soldiers he was lying to as political props to massage his own ego and provide a made-for-Fox-“News” clip, as military.com pointed out:

“Internal 82nd Airborne Division communications reviewed by Military.com reveal a tightly orchestrated effort to curate the optics of Trump's recent visit, including handpicking soldiers for the audience based on political leanings and physical appearance. The troops ultimately selected to be behind Trump and visible to the cameras were almost exclusively male. One unit-level message bluntly said, ‘no fat soldiers.’” [emphasis added]

This is the exact opposite of the instructions to keep the military nonpartisan that President George Washington gave future generations in his farewell address:

“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism.

“The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty.”

That the Secretary of Defense, “Kegger” Pete Hegseth, would not just allow but intentionally facilitate such an offensive display of partisanship is particularly troubling when compared to the military’s actual policies in Directive 1344.10, put into place years ago to respect Washington’s advice:

“In keeping with the traditional concept that members on active duty should not engage in partisan political activity, and that members not on active duty should avoid inferences that their political activities imply or appear to imply official sponsorship, approval, or endorsement, the following policy shall apply: …

“A member of the Armed Forces on active duty shall not: …

“Participate in partisan political fundraising activities, rallies, conventions, management of campaigns, or debates, either on one’s own behalf or on that of another, without respect to uniform or inference or appearance of official sponsorship, approval, or endorsement. …

“Attend partisan political events as an official representative of the Armed Forces…”

“This is a lawful general regulation. Violations of paragraphs 4.1. through 4.5. of this Directive by persons subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice are punishable under Article 92, ‘Failure to Obey Order or Regulation.’”

When Trump blurs this line designed to keep our military nonpartisan, he’s imitating the behavior of dictators like Putin, Erdoğan, and Orbán who cultivate personal loyalty within the military, rather than respect for constitutional processes.

Trump’s and “Kegger’s” move is apparently designed to test whether rank-and-file troops will go along with his political agenda and to build a foundation for future actions in which military force can be used domestically to defend his regime rather than the Constitution (e.g., suppressing protests, enforcing disputed election outcomes, defending the suspension of elections, etc.).

This is deeply dangerous to any democracy, which is why such behavior is not allowed by the military or executive of any other advanced democracy in the world. When military loyalty becomes politicized, the risk of coups, unlawful orders, or martial law rises dramatically.

Which — given the fact that Trump’s already tried once to stage a coup against the United States — makes this all the more alarming.

But Trump didn’t stop there. He next attacked the media filming the event, saying to more applause from the troops:

“And for a little news, for the fake news back there, the fake news, ladies and gentlemen, look at them, look at them, aye yai yai, what I have to put up with. Fake news. What I have to put up with.”

In fascist regimes, the press is always one of their first targets, typically labeled as “enemies of the people,” blamed for national problems, and ultimately silenced or co-opted. Trump using such rhetoric normalizes contempt for independent journalism among armed agents of the state while it suggests the possibility of state-aligned force being turned against critical media or dissenters.

Nazi Germany, Mussolini's Italy, Putin’s Russia, and more recently Orbán’s Hungary all followed this script. By repeating it, Trump is conditioning our soldiers to follow him rather than the Constitution and the law of the land.

He even brought along a vendor of Trump merchandise in violation of military policy, including MAGA hats, T-shirts, and cards that read, “White Privilege Card: Trumps Everything.”

Historically, when democracies have slid into dictatorship, there’s a moment when the military is required to choose sides, the press is cast as a threat, and loyalty to the regime is demanded and rewarded, rather than loyalty to the law.

We’re there now. Today.

Every American, particularly those who’ve served in the military, should be outraged by Trump’s fascist performance in front of our troops. That the only senior active duty military officer who spoke to the press did so anonymously (he said, “This has been a bad week for the Army for anyone who cares about us being a neutral institution; this was shameful.”) is a damning indictment of how far away from American values we’ve let Trump drag our country.

'US homeland' now includes Greenland after major shakeup by Pentagon

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken action to have Greenland declared part of the "U.S. homeland" to be defended by American forces, according to a report in Military Times.

The Pentagon announced Tuesday that it was shifting responsibility for Greenland from U.S. European Command to U.S. Northern Command, with the Department of Defense framing "the revision as part of a broader review of its Unified Command Plan, which divides the world into separate military units and outlines the roles and responsibilities of U.S. combatant commands," Military Times reported.

The U.S.-run Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland "is one of the most strategically important military sites in the world," according to The New York Times.

Since retaking office in January, President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex the Danish territory in the name of national security. “One way or the other, we’re going to get it,” Trump said of Greenland during a March speech before a joint session of Congress.

In a statement, a Pentagon spokesperson claimed, "[This] change will strengthen the Joint Force’s ability to defend the U.S. homeland, contributing to a more robust defense of the western hemisphere and deepening relationships with Arctic allies and partners."

The report claimed, "The Pentagon announcement didn’t mention any intent to annex the territory, and the president didn’t immediately suggest such a choice was possible Tuesday." However, the publication noted that "while testifying before the House last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to rule out that the U.S. may use force to take Greenland, even when encouraged by a fellow Republican to clarify earlier remarks."

The report quoted Hegseth as saying, “I think the American people would want the Pentagon to have plans for anything,” as a way of "suggesting the military has prepared for the possibility of seizing the territory."

Read the Military Times article here.

'Got it — you're in charge': Ex-general blames Hegseth's insecurity for top brass firings

Retired Major General James Spider Marks slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for trying to "flex his muscles" by announcing he's slashing top generals and admirals from the Pentagon.

CNN's John Berman played a clip of Hegseth claiming his new "DOD reforms" will include "less generals, more G.I.s."

"'Fewer generals,' he should have said," Berman quipped. "He says it's not 'slash and burn,' Spider. But what do you think when you look at this?"

"I don't see the correlation between reducing the size of the general officer ranks, flag officer ranks, and increasing the size of the enlisted population," Marks said. "These are two different sources, two different buckets of individuals and leadership capacities."

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Marks continued that if Hegseth's objective is purely to cut costs, "this would be a drop in the bucket."

"What I would recommend...turn around to the services and say, 'Service chiefs, I think we've got a challenge here. I want your recommendations on what what you should look like. Come back to me with your recommendations.' Don't state up front, 'We've got a 20% reduction in four stars,' which would be about 8 to 10 personnel. And don't say, 'We're going to have an additional 10% across the board in all the other flags,' which would be about an 80 to 90 number of individuals reduced. Come back and say, 'Look, here's what we can do to solve this particular problem.' Then, if you do that, the service chiefs own the solution. I mean, they're going to be all in."

Marks claimed Hegseth's big misstep was making a declaration from on high.

"If it's coming from the top, it seems...non-serious is what it seems to me. And there's not...a lot of real substance to what he's trying to achieve. I think he's flexing his muscles. We don't need to be reminded that he's the Secdef. I got it — you're in charge. This is not the way you embrace the organization."

Watch the clip below via CNN.

'Huge problem': Insiders say WH having a 'full-blown meltdown' amid latest scandal

U.S. diplomat Brett McGurk, who has held senior national security positions under both Republican and Democratic presidents, expressed his concern Tuesday on CNN over government insiders claiming the Pentagon was disintegrating under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership.

On Sunday, The New York Times reported that Hegseth used the unsecured Signal app a second time to share sensitive Houthi attack information with family members. Hegseth went on "Fox & Friends" Tuesday morning to blame the information "leak" on three Pentagon aides whom he appointed, then recently fired.

One of those former aides, John Ullyot, wrote in an opinion piece for Politico that the past "month from hell" at the agency has led to "a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon."

McGurk told CNN's Brianna Keilar on Tuesday, "I think the most significant news this week are the people who [Hegseth] picked, who are now out, who are saying the Pentagon is in a full-blown meltdown. So, these are his people. These are Trump appointees. This is a huge problem. Something is going on here that is deep and structural."

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McGurk continued, "You cannot have this kind of disarray at the Pentagon. You know, the chain of command goes from...the president to the secretary of Defense. That's the chain of command. And then down to the combatant command. This is so important for the protection of our country. Every military deployment, everything runs through that office. So, to have an insider say it's a full-blown meltdown — a Trump appointee — that's a real concern."

Keilar asked what McGurk thought might happen with Hegseth's tenure at the Pentagon.

"Look, I want this administration to succeed. I support that campaign against the Houthis, it's important. You just can't have this kind of disarray at the Pentagon," McGurk reiterated. "And, Trump, who's famous for holding people accountable, I would expect eventually there's going to be a change."

Keilar then asked, "If you are Iran...if you are Russia, how are you seeing this, with this chaos going on at the Pentagon?"

"If I was in the White House now in national security role and seeing another foreign country, a foreign adversary, having this level of five senior officials being basically walked out of the Pentagon — the most senior military command of that foreign capital — I would think they got some real problems under the surface. If this is just what we're seeing, imagine what is actually going on."

Watch the clip below via CNN.

Hegseth slammed for throwing colleagues 'under the bus' to dodge blame amid scandal

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was accused Tuesday of throwing his former, hand-picked Pentagon colleagues "under the bus" in an attempt to shift blame over "Signalgate 2.0."

The New York Times reported Sunday that Hegseth used an unsecured Signal app to share highly sensitive information about a Houthi airstrike with is wife, brother, and lawyer. This was the second time Hegseth was pegged for using the phone app to transmit attack plans.

Hegseth appeared on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning, where he continued to blame the ousted officials for leaking information about his chats.

"What was shared over Signal then and now — however you characterize — was informal, unclassified coordinations," a very animated Hegseth said in a clip played on CNN. "In this point, those folks who were leaking, who have been pushed out of the building, are now attempting to leak and sabotage the president's agenda and what we're doing."

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CNN's Natasha Bertrand said the interview showed "Hegseth clearly trying to throw these former aides very much under the bus as he seeks to kind of explain away why he was on this Signal chat with this information being shared about very sensitive military operations."

Also on CNN, former Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh commented on the Hegseth interview, saying, "I think the reality is that these former disgruntled aides didn't type the tik-tok of an operation and put it into not one, but two separate Signal threads. It's not the media that typed up details of these operational details and put it into these Signal threads. So, you're seeing Pete Hegseth continue to blame and point fingers."

Singh called it "deeply troubling" that Hegsseth bragged in the interview "that he looks at...war plans all the time."

"You can't have selective memory loss there. You literally took what you're seeing every single day and bragging about on Fox...and you type that very classified information and put it into an unclassified text thread. And, ultimately, there's been no accountability for him at all."

Watch the clip below via CNN.

Mass resignations at key Pentagon unit after DOGE starts 'smashing everything': report

Employees with the Pentagon's digital technology unit, dubbed the "SWAT team of nerds," have decided to resign together rather than deal with changes being brought about by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, according to new reporting from Politico.

The report states that the Defense Digital Services unit was once considered the Pentagon's "fast-track tech development arm" and "one of the department’s earliest efforts to inject Silicon Valley ethos into its massive bureaucracy."

Created in 2015, DDS helped the Pentagon "adopt fast tech fixes during national security crises" and pushed "Silicon Valley-style innovation inside the Pentagon," according to reporter Mohar Chatterjee. "It built rapid response tools for the military during the Afghanistan withdrawal, databases to transfer Ukrainian military and humanitarian aid," and "drone detection technologies," among other projects.

With the ascendance of DOGE, however, DDS will effectively shut down by the end of this month.

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"Without the program, some key efforts to streamline the DOD’s tech talent pipeline and counter adversarial drones will be sunsetted," Chatterjee wrote.

Jennifer Hay, director of the 14-person office, said her staff "initially expected to be part of Musk’s efforts to automate the Pentagon’s operations and adopt AI."

“The reason we stuck it out as long as we have is that we thought we were going to be called in,” Hay said.

Hay said she planned to leave by May 1, while 11 other employees were expected to take President Trump’s deferred resignation package. The two remaining staffers were also planning to leave, Chatterjee wrote, adding, that "every employee interviewed said they wouldn’t have left if it wasn’t for DOGE."

A former senior Pentagon official told Chatterjee that Musk's team was "not really using AI" or "driving efficiency."

"What they’re doing is smashing everything," the person said.

Read the Politico article here.