All posts tagged "pentagon"

'Unbelievable': Pentagon's massive troop withdrawal plan sparks immediate backlash

The Pentagon's thoughts about withdrawing 25,000 troops from Europe are spurring fears of the threat the move would create for U.S. allies.

On Thursday, NBC News reported that the Pentagon is considering pulling out 25,000 or more U.S. troops from Europe, which is nearly a third of the American forces stationed there. The withdrawal would include aircraft, ships, and weapons, even though NATO allies have warned about the growing threat from Russia.

Online critics pointed to the move as proof that President Donald Trump and his administration are aligned with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"For the umpteenth time: Trump works for Putin," wrote former GOP congressman Joe Walsh in a post on X. "He's a Russian asset. Plain & simple. Putin is smiling again today."

"What US national security interest would this decision advance?" wondered former U.S. ambassador to Russia and political science professor Michael McFaul. "I missed the Party of Reagan and Peace Through Strength."

"Trump is helping Putin to attack Europe," declared investigative journalist Robert van der Noordaa.

"As European countries build their defense capabilities, this kind of withdrawal may become possible," former U.S. ambassador Steven Pifer lamented. "It makes no sense now."

"UNBELIEVABLE!" exclaimed influencer Brian Krassenstein, who had a theory for why the Trump administration was making the move. "This is happening right after the EU signed a trade deal with Canada and invited Canada to join the EU as an associated member. Trump is mad that two allies are working together after he pissed them both off."

This would not be the administration's first drawdown in Europe. The Pentagon ordered about 5,000 U.S. troops out of Germany earlier in 2026 amid tensions with Berlin, Fox News reported.

It also echoes Trump's first term, when he ordered roughly 12,000 troops out of Germany in 2020. That plan drew bipartisan pushback and was frozen by President Joe Biden, CBS News reported.

What US national security interest would this decision advance?

I missed the Party of Reagan and Peace Through Strength. https://t.co/Un0R9eB6GY
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) September 17, 2026

Pentagon rages as Pete Hegseth's pressure campaign on rescued airmen exposed: report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ignored concerns about leaking classified information by pressuring airmen to do a '60 Minutes' interview, CNN reported.

According to a Saturday article, Hegseth and political appointees in his department pressured two crew members of an F-15 to take part in a '60 Minutes' story that will air on Sunday. Ultimately, one airman agreed to the interview while the other declined, according to CNN.

The two were shot down over Iran and then rescued in April. Multiple anonymous sources told CNN that Hegseth went as far as meeting with them personally about going on '60 Minutes.' Hegseth ignored concerns from military officials that the interview risked exposing classified details of the rescue effort, three anonymous sources told CNN.

The network that runs '60 Minutes' has also recently undergone a notable overhaul and lost many veteran correspondents and producers since conservative Bari Weiss took over as CBS News Editor-in-Chief with the backing of Trump ally and Paramount CEO David Ellison.

Two anonymous sources told CNN that political appointees in Hegseth's office were adamant about both F-15 crew members sitting for the interview, which will be part of the Sunday premiere kicking off the new season of '60 Minutes.'

After both airmen raised their concerns, Hegseth personally met with them in private and asked whether they wanted to cooperate, sources told CNN. Hegseth's office has been trying to craft the narrative around the Iran war as it has become increasingly unpopular, CNN noted.

CNN couldn't identify the two airmen in the interview, as the Pentagon hasn't publicly released their names. The Pentagon also denied the reporting when CNN reached them for comment.

"This entire story is a complete lie," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told CNN. "The decision to participate in the interview was each pilot's alone."

CNN also noted that the major news outlets, including CNN, were eager to interview the pilots earlier this year, but Weiss personally lobbied Hegseth to give the interview to CBS, three sources at CBS told CNN.

Vance secretly called commanders to get the war truth that Trump won't say: report

Vice President JD Vance quietly went around the Pentagon to call military commanders directly for blunt assessments of the Iran War.

The New York Times reported Thursday that Vance wanted the commanders' individual judgments as they saw them before those views were merged into an official Pentagon position. The Times described Vance as opposed to the war from the outset, and he was tasked by President Donald Trump with helping to end it.

The vice president reached commanders in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, pressing them on the war's objectives, casualty estimates, how much punishment Tehran's government could absorb, and what was left in their weapons stockpiles, according to the report.

The answers were sobering as officers were most alarmed by their shrinking supply of Patriot interceptors, which are the mainstay of U.S. air defenses. One theater of the conflict dropped below 100 of them by late spring, The Times reported.

Those private assessments clashed sharply with what the administration has said in public. Trump has continued to falsely claim the United States has already won, that Iran's military has been demolished, and that there are no problems with American weapons supplies, The Times noted. Vance himself recently played down the notion that the country was even at war.

Behind closed doors, the president has raged at coverage of the depleted stockpiles and branded the reporting treasonous, according to The Times. Investigators later subjected dozens of senior Pentagon officers to polygraph tests.

The administration pushed back on the reporting. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the defense secretary had "facilitated direct access to combatant commanders" for the vice president and other senior White House officials.

Joseph Holstead, a spokesman for General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, insisted "there is no gap in the military advice" provided to the president, vice president, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Pete Hegseth's top deputy on the chopping block amid Pentagon shakeup: report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's top deputy is on the chopping block amid a leadership shakeup at the Pentagon, according to a new report.

Three anonymous sources familiar with discussions told Reuters Saturday that the White House is looking for a replacement for Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg.

Feinberg is Hegseth's second-in-command at the Defense Department and is the billionaire co-founder of the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which, per the Washington Post, has investments in companies that maintain Pentagon contracts.

According to Reuters, Feinberg vowed to accelerate the production of U.S. munitions, which have been diminished by the ongoing war with Iran, but the goal has not yet been met.

The three anonymous sources who spoke to Reuters only confirmed that the White House is looking for replacements, but have not said why. As of June, the White House has been speaking with senior senators about which potential replacements can get confirmed, two of the sources told Reuters.

However, the three sources said that the White House has yet to make a final decision about removing Feinberg, only that it's vetting his possible replacement. The White House denied the claims when asked for comment by Reuters.

"These so-called anonymous 'sources' have no idea what they are talking about," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Reuters. "President Trump appreciates the work of Secretary Hegseth, Deputy Secretary Feinberg and the entire Department of War."

The Pentagon told Reuters that Feinberg had no comment and declined to make him available for an interview. Hegseth, however, gave Reuters a statement.

Feinberg "has worked tirelessly to rebuild our Defense Industrial Base and ensure our military has everything it needs to win," Hegseth said to Reuters in his statement. "He's doing a tremendous job for President Trump."

Reuters noted that it would be a sign of leadership change amid high staff turnover at the Pentagon. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced his resignation earlier this week, with sources telling Reuters that the move came after months of tension with Hegseth.

Pentagon straps its own staff to lie detectors after wave of damning leaks

The Pentagon forced dozens of members of the Joint Staff to take polygraph tests as it hunts down internal leakers, The New York Times reported.

According to the report, the polygraph tests took place in August after numerous news reports came out about the Iran war diminishing the stock of long-range missiles, Patriot interceptors, and other crucial munitions.

About 50 members of the U.S. military's Joint Staff had to take polygraph tests over leaks to journalists, an anonymous insider briefed on the move told The Times.

Investigators questioned military officers and civilian employees on the Joint Staff about whether they had disclosed classified information to members of the press, according to The Times. They were also asked whether they provided information about diminished U.S. munition stocks.

Between 1,500 and 2,000 officers and officials work for the Joint Staff, but the move marks an "extraordinary" step by U.S. government investigators, The Times noted.

The Pentagon recently purged classified documents from a secret computer system after a series of unprecedented Pentagon leaks revealed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been warned by several U.S. military leaders against a prolonged, large-scale operation in Iran.

The Trump administration has also gone after journalists directly. The Justice Department subpoenaed journalists for The Times who reported on security problems with Trump's Qatari jet, though those subpoenas were ultimately dropped.

A freelancer for The Times was subpoenaed by the DOJ in an attempt to identify his sources for a story about a failed top-secret mission in North Korea. Federal law enforcement seized the devices of journalist Max Blumenthal when he returned from Iran.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell responded to The Times with a statement about the polygraph tests, saying the Pentagon "does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly."

'Beyond the pale': Pentagon caught trying to raid billions from disease research

The Pentagon was caught attempting to divert funding for infectious-disease research to cover its own money woes, sparking outcry from a Democratic lawmaker.

According to reporting by Punchbowl News, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) sounded the alarm on Thursday by revealing that the Department of Defense is trying to divert billions of dollars from the National Institutes of Health.

DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said that the Pentagon is trying to "siphon" money through an interagency agreement with the NIH. She warned the agreement could give the Pentagon access to billions that Congress appropriated to the NIH's institute for infectious disease research.

"This secretive attempt to siphon research funds away from NIH is outrageous," DeLauro wrote in a statement. "The interagency agreement needs to be terminated immediately."

She also noted the Pentagon's money troubles, writing, "It is no secret that the Department of Defense is facing enormous financial pressure because of President Trump's war of choice with Iran." Punchbowl News reported that President Donald Trump is asking for $1.5 trillion in funding for the Pentagon, but the request "seems as murky as ever."

According to DeLauro, the Pentagon is trying to pull money from the NIH's leading institute for infectious-disease research, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

"Circumventing Congress to divert money intended to help Americans who are exposed to HIV, influenza, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases—and directing those funds to the Department of Defense—is beyond the pale," DeLauro wrote. "The administration must provide Congress with a full accounting of how this interagency agreement was developed and exactly how much taxpayer money it is trying to transfer to DoD."

The total budget for NIAID is about $6.6 billion, according to Punchbowl News. The interagency agreement between the Pentagon and the NIH doesn't specify exactly how much money the Pentagon can pull from that budget, a source told Punchbowl News.

The Pentagon didn't respond to Punchbowl News' request for comment.

Pentagon caught purging decades of classified docs after generals' warnings leak: WaPo

Anonymous insiders told The Washington Post that the Pentagon scrubbed decades of classified documents following a story about senior military officials' warnings about Iran.

In a Wednesday article, The Post revealed that the Pentagon pulled decades' worth of classified documents from a secret computer system that is commonly used by defense officials and U.S. troops. Insiders tipped The Post off following a story on Sunday about several top generals and admirals cautioning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the risks of extending a war with Iran.

The documents were removed from the internal web portal on the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet), according to three anonymous insiders who spoke to The Post. SIPRNet contains information that is labeled 'secret,' while top-secret information is put on other highly classified networks where fewer people have access, according to The Post.

Insiders told The Post that the documents were associated with the Secretary of Defense Orders Book (SDOB), which details the location and availability of U.S. warships, military units, weapons systems, and other resources. The SDOB also gives top generals and admirals a forum in which they can disagree with President Donald Trump and Hegseth while still carrying out their orders, The Post noted.

SDOB provides a "non-concurring" process where top generals and admirals can explain any reservations or disagreements they have with the orders or describe the detrimental effects of those orders on other military plans.

The Post noted that the SDOB became the "focus of intense discussion" after a story detailing how top generals and admirals told Hegseth that a prolonged, large-scale conflict against Iran is unsustainable. Those senior military officials also told Hegseth that operations against Iran risked weakening their ability to confront threats elsewhere.

Those warnings from senior military officials appeared in an August 14 edition of the SDOB, according to The Post.

Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, declined to discuss the removal of the classified documents with The Post, saying, "The Department of War does not publicly discuss internal operational deliberative processes," and "the success of our service members is Secretary Hegseth's top priority."

Trump snubbing 9/11 ceremony in Manhattan after being denied speaking opportunity: NYT

President Donald Trump reportedly plans to skip a 9/11 commemoration in Manhattan after he was barred from delivering a speech, per insiders.

A New York Times report published on Thursday and co-written by Maggie Haberman revealed that Trump is not planning to attend a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center. The reporting is based on information from four anonymous insiders.

Trump's team has conducted advance visits to the site where the ceremony is set to take place after the president initially signaled that he planned to attend Ground Zero on September 11, two anonymous insiders told The Times.

Instead, Trump, a New York native, is now expected to commemorate the attacks at the Pentagon, two insiders told The Times. The Pentagon was also a site of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Trump wanted to speak at the Manhattan event and told memorial planners in recent weeks about his interest in doing so, three sources told The Times. However, politicians haven't been allowed to speak at the Ground Zero site since 2012, according to The Times.

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum oversees the Ground Zero site and wants to keep the location nonpartisan and focused on the solemnity of the day, according to The Times.

Vice President JD Vance, however, is expected to attend the Manhattan ceremony and represent the White House, The Times reported.

Trump's event at the Pentagon is also expected to follow his headliner events at his Dallas midterm convention on September 9 and 10. Officials have also discussed holding a 9/11 tribute at the midterm convention, according to The Times.

On September 12, Trump is also scheduled to depart for his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, where the Irish Open tournament will take place, The Times reported.

Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes reporter for saying where she works: 'Badge of honor'

A reporter said she was fired by the Department of Defense for saying she works for Stars and Stripes, not the Pentagon.

In a Friday post on X, journalist Lara Korte, who covered the Middle East for the Stars and Stripes, announced her firing and denounced the Pentagon's treatment of the military paper, which has faced increasing pressure from the Trump administration's DoD.

"Today, I was informed that the Department of Defense is firing me for insubordination," Korte wrote. "I told a CBS reporter that I work for Stars and Stripes – not the Pentagon, not any administration, and not any policy maker."

The post prompted swift outrage from critics of the Trump administration who sympathized with Korte and the Stars and Stripes.

"Outrageous and sad," wrote George Conway, Kellyanne Conway's ex-husband turned Democratic congressional candidate. "Decades have been devoted to building up the credibility of this publication to earn the trust of everyone in uniform—credibility and trust now being summarily destroyed by narcissistic and ignorant hacks like [Defense Secretary Pete] Hegseth."

"Being fired by Pete Hegseth is a badge of honor," applauded veteran political analyst Bill Kristol.

"Thank you for your service," commended political blogger and Kash Patel foe Jim Stewartson.

"Lara is a great reporter and a person of integrity," senior Politico reporter Jeremy White praised. "You should hire her, and more broadly, support journalists having the independence they need to hold the powerful to account."

Korte added, "I consider it a great privilege to live alongside members of the military and share their stories," and blasted the Pentagon, saying "it's a shame for the institution and service members, who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve the right to a free and independent press."

Reports came out on Friday that the Pentagon fired the paper's publisher before he could retire next month, along with the editor-in-chief. Earlier this year, the Trump administration fired Jaqueline Smith, the ombudsman of the Stars and Stripes, which prompted her to warn that "there's a very real threat" facing the Pentagon's paper of record.

Trump officials eye firing US military paper publisher before he can retire: report

Pentagon officials are reportedly considering firing the longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes before he can retire this fall.

According to a Wednesday report by CBS News, Max Lederer announced to his colleagues that he plans to retire on September 30 after 19 years as the publisher of Stars and Stripes. Lederer cited fundamental differences with the Trump administration for his retirement.

However, Pentagon officials have discussed firing Lederer before his planned retirement as part of an effort to overhaul the military news outlet, which is partly funded by American taxpayers.

The outlet, which gets about 65 percent of its funding through the Defense Department, has long prided itself on editorial independence from the Pentagon's public affairs operation.

Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin has also spoken publicly about his disagreements with Pentagon leadership. Lederer, in a Tuesday note to staff obtained by CBS News, wrote that his "philosophy of leadership" and his "understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes" differ in "fundamental ways" from the direction the department's leadership wants for the organization.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has publicly pushed to remake the outlet. He posted in January about "bringing Stars and Stripes into the 21st century."

Parnell wrote that the department would "modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members."

The outlet would "focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY," Parnell added. He said there would be "no more repurposed DC gossip columns" and "no more Associated Press reprints." CBS News reported that the outlet no longer uses wire services such as Reuters or the AP.

An average of 1.4 million people see Stars and Stripes each day, mostly online, according to CBS News. However, readership has declined from its peaks during World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War, CBS News noted. Print delivery slid from about 7 million annual copies in 2019 to 6.2 million in 2024, according to CBS News.