All posts tagged "pentagon"

Republicans balk at Pete Hegseth's 'brazen' ploy against Dems: 'Extremely short-sighted'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's attempt to lock Democrats out of Pentagon talks is backfiring after GOP lawmakers expressed concern to Politico.

Hegseth has been keeping congressional Democrats out of classified briefings, according to reporting by Politico, which described Republicans as "shocked by the brazen partisanship."

"He calls himself the secretary of war, but ironically, he doesn't want to go to war and win the argument with nearly half the members of the Senate," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said, referring to Hegseth's reluctance to invite Democrats into discussions about taking military action. "You got to engage."

According to Politico, Hegseth excluded Democrats twice in recent weeks from closed-door meetings where he pitched his record $1.5 trillion defense budget. Before that, congressional Democrats were also shut out of meetings about the Pentagon's boat strikes in the Caribbean and the decoy Air Force One flight in response to threats by Iran.

"I know that sometimes you want to have smaller groups," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said. "But I think it needs to be bipartisan."

Politico noted that Hegseth blowing off Democrats could doom President Donald Trump's unprecedented Pentagon budget increase. Republicans who support it are "worried" as Democratic support in the Senate is needed for it to pass, Politico added.

"They're preaching to the choir when they have Republicans on the Armed Services Committee, and they're making a case for the budget," an anonymous GOP member of the committee told Politico. "It's a briefing that should be provided to 100 senators."

Congressional Republicans are urging the White House to change its approach and maintain good faith with Democrats, according to Politico.

"The Democratic members need to be brought up to speed," Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) told Politico. "But there has to be a clear understanding that the information that's being provided to them cannot be publicly discussed. And for some reason, some of the administration feels as though there's a possibility that some of it would be leaked."

An anonymous former defense official described Hegseth's strategy as "extremely short-sighted because you have got to have bipartisan majorities over a longer period of time to really build defense capability," adding that "it's not built one year at a time. And some of the more frustrated people are the senior Republicans."

Trump officials at each other's throats over 'sickening' report on boat strikes: 'A joke'

Trump administration officials are slamming their colleagues in the Pentagon after a new report downplayed casualty counts from recent military strikes, per a new report.

The Department of Defense turned over an annual report to Congress with a tally of civilian casualties from military strikes in 2025, and one anonymous Trump administration official called it "a f------ joke," according to reporting by The Intercept.

The report addresses allegations of civilian harm during 2025 military attacks in Somalia and Yemen, as well as boat strikes in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, where the Pentagon insists it's fighting drug trafficking, The Intercept reported.

However, the report asserts that U.S. attacks killed no civilians during military boat strikes, despite reports that those strikes killed more than 120 civilians, according to The Intercept. A second Trump administration official called the report "a total whitewash" and "sickening," adding that the Pentagon has "absolutely no credibility."

The Intercept noted that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gutted civilian harm mitigation and response programs in the Pentagon. Although the report, which has only been released to Congress but not to the public, denied civilian deaths from the boat strikes, it found that U.S. attacks in the Middle East likely killed or wounded hundreds of civilians, The Intercept reported.

However, the second official said that the report offered "lowball numbers" for civilian casualties from U.S. attacks in Yemen. The report estimated U.S. air and naval strikes in Yemen killed 153 civilians and wounded almost 250, but the Yemen Data Project estimated that 238 civilians were killed and 467 were injured by U.S. attacks.

Both anonymous officials also pointed out that the Pentagon is still reviewing 15 cases of attacks on civilians in Yemen and that the 10-person civilian harm mitigation team at CENTCOM has been reduced to one person. The first official said it "doesn't bode well for the war in Iran," adding, "How will they get through hundreds of cases for Iran if their one civilian harm person still hasn't finished in Yemen?"

'Shocking': Veterans sound the alarm on 'staggering sum' spent on Trump crackdown

A group of veterans is sounding the alarm on how much President Donald Trump has spent on a Washington, D.C., crackdown.

In a Wednesday piece, the Trump administration's spending to deploy National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., was flagged by Janessa Goldbeck, the CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, a veterans advocacy nonprofit. The Pentagon has already spent more than $700 million to deploy troops in the nation's capital since last August, and their continued deployment is expected to cost another $1.43 billion, Goldbeck wrote, citing estimates from the Pentagon comptroller nominee.

"Two billion dollars is a staggering sum to spend making the exceptional feel routine," Goldbeck wrote. "The people best positioned to see that damage coming are the ones who wore the uniform and meant the oath. That is why we are among the loudest sounding the alarm."

According to Goldbeck, the bill "works out to roughly $51 million a month to keep somewhere around 2,500 soldiers standing post in the capital." She also noted that the Vet Voice Foundation signed an amicus brief in D.C.'s lawsuit against Trump for the deployment.

Goldbeck also warned about "the line" that is "moved a little further every month this continues," referring to how each additional month of deployment makes armed troops on American streets seem more normal.

She warned the Trump administration will keep pushing that line until there are "soldiers standing watch over an American city" so that it stops "looking as shocking as it is." She added, "A military asked to stand in adversarial posture against its own fellow citizens, in a fight that is transparently political, will over time lose the respect it has earned."

These deployments have already seen casualties, as well, Goldbeck noted. "In November, two Guard members were shot while patrolling blocks from the White House. One of them died," she pointed out.

"That is the reality of putting soldiers into a role built for police," she said. "On a mission whose purpose keeps shifting: the same troops sent to guard the Reflecting Pool and haul trash off city streets are the ones exposed to lethal risk."

Hegseth's swagger meets a reckoning as Pentagon moves to unwind 'pugnacious' purge: report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is being pressured to backtrack after an airstrike gone wrong, according to The Atlantic.

The Pentagon is moving towards restoring as many as half of the roles that Hegseth cut during a "pugnacious" purge at the Department of Defense, according to reporting by The Atlantic. Hegseth's downsizing included the firing or reassignment of staff dedicated to avoiding civilian casualties in war, the reporting noted.

"The potential reversal, which hasn't previously been reported, now awaits Hegseth's signature," according to The Atlantic. The Pentagon is considering bringing back staff as it deals with the fallout of an airstrike that killed almost 170 people, most of them children, at a school in southern Iran, The Atlantic reported.

The Atlantic also noted that Hegseth said early in the conflict that the U.S. would fight with "no stupid rules of engagement" and "no politically correct wars."

An anonymous Pentagon official confirmed to The Atlantic that the DoD is "currently undergoing a strategic reassessment to inform its future reorganization."

A Pentagon inspector general report this spring determined that the DoD's cuts to civilian-harm protections may have violated laws designed to protect noncombatants, The Atlantic reported. Leaders of the Pentagon's combatant commands also support the restoration of personnel who can safeguard against civilian casualties, a U.S. official told The Atlantic.

"Over the last year, we have seen a total disconnect between the willingness to wage wars all over the world, at an unprecedented pace and scale, while at the same time all but abandoning their leading role in setting up the systems and approaches needed to better protect civilians," Emily Tripp, the head of Airwars, an independent UK-based watchdog, told The Atlantic.

'It's just not right': Lawmakers sound the alarm on sneaky Pentagon move

Congressional lawmakers are hitting the brakes on the Pentagon's efforts to to quietly move forward with powering AI, per Politico.

The Department of Defense is already leasing land to private companies to build data centers proposed for military bases, but the move is drawing scrutiny from members of Congress, according to reporting by Politico.

"It's just not right for every community," Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) said, per Politico. "Seemingly, the other side doesn't want to just admit the reality around resource consumption."

Congressional lawmakers are mostly worried about the amount of water and energy that data centers require. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) proposed amendments to the House's version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act that would check the development of data centers by the Pentagon before it accelerates, Politico reported.

Garamendi noted that AI data centers are "extraordinary consumers of both energy and water" and "the question arises as to whether they should be on military bases."

Levin added, "A bigger concern is that we haven't received the appropriate brief" from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or the Pentagon "about any of this."

One provision sought by lawmakers would require the Department of Defense to brief Congress on the impacts of military data centers on nearby communities before construction starts, according to Politico. Another would require DOD to publish annual reports on data center impacts.

"This Congress has an obligation to defend our people," Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) said. "Not to stick our heads in the sand or pretend it's 1946."

'Shameful' Trump cover-ups torched by ex-CIA director: 'Tiptoe past the graveyard'

A former CIA director on Saturday slammed the Trump administration for a cover-up he predicts is doomed to fail.

In an interview with The Guardian, Leon Panetta laid out how he believes the Pentagon is trying to combat press access amid the war in Iran.

"There's a deliberate effort here to basically withhold information from the American people," Panetta said. "And I think it represents in many ways a shameful approach to sharing the responsibility that we all have when it comes to fighting a war."

The Department of Defense has not held a press briefing in two and a half months, The Guardian reported.

This stands in stark contrast to Panetta's weekly briefings during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Panetta said that Pentagon officials are "trying to tiptoe past the graveyard."

The Pentagon has also challenged the press by limiting access with rules requiring reporters to be escorted onto Pentagon grounds and stripping their credentials, The Guardian noted.

"They're hoping that the less they say, the less controversy they'll be involved in," Panetta said about Pentagon officials. "The reality is that the press will only operate that much more aggressively to find out exactly what's going on."

However, Panetta held out hope that Pentagon reporters will be able to hold those officials accountable.

"In essence, what they're doing is challenging the press to find what's really happening, and they will," Panetta said. "They can dodge, bob and weave, they can hide it, but my experience is that no matter how much you try to hide it, in the end, the truth comes out."

'Wow': Tearful Iran war widow left speechless by Trump admin response

The widow of a service member recently killed amid the Iran war was speechless when asked about the Trump administration's response.

During an interview with CNN anchor Erin Burnett, Mia Gonzalez-Swinton spoke about her husband, late Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, who was one of four U.S. service members killed last weekend in the ongoing conflict with Iran. Swinton was killed in Iraq, and his name vanished from the Department of Defense casualty list, Burnett noted.

Gonzalez-Swinton gave a tearful interview with Burnett where she described her late husband as "goofy" and a father to a baby girl. Burnett asked her about the Trump administration removing her husband's name, along with three others, from the casualty list.

"Mia, something happened this week that we don't really understand," Burnett said. "The Pentagon, you know, removing Michael and the three soldiers who also died this past weekend from the public casualty count of soldiers and troops who have died during the war."

Burnett said that the Pentagon explained the removal was "a glitch."

She asked Gonzalez-Swinton, "Has anyone spoken to you about this or told you anything about it?"

A silence followed while Gonzalez-Swinton appeared to collect her thoughts and change her expression. After a few seconds, she slowly said, "Nobody has reached out yet."

Gonzalez-Swinton took another brief pause while she seemed to think, and again her expression changed to surprise.

"Wow," she continued. "I kind of don't have words for that."

Burnett seemed to struggle too, as she responded, "I can imagine." Gonzalez-Swinton broke into tears as the interview ended.

Trump's sons orchestrate secret $3 billion payday thanks to dad's policies: report

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have quietly raked in billions as the Pentagon has invested in new defense technology, according to a new Washington Post investigation published Monday.

President Donald Trump's sons have made significant investments in military-related startups, "further entangling the United States’ interests and the Trump family’s financial fortunes in an area with immense stakes for national security," The Post reported.

Many of these financial investments have come as Trump returned to the White House.

"The companies have collectively generated at least $3.2 billion in direct government business since the sons invested and an additional $3.1 billion in future contract options," according to The Post. "Some have gained coveted spots on shortlists of preapproved contractors that can bid exclusively on up to nearly $200 billion in future work."

A top priority for Trump's second administration has been focusing on national security and "modernizing the tools of warfighting." And the Trump sons have reportedly cashed in on this Pentagon initiative by building a portfolio focused on this spending priority.

"The Trump sons are part of investment groups that have poured money into established government contractors, such as SpaceX and Anduril, as well as lesser-known start-ups aspiring to build a new generation of nimble, tech-forward weaponry — from drones to humanoid robots that can either mow a lawn or use deadly force," The Post reported. "Most of the firms are in the defense industry, but some focus on products not meant for the battlefield: One company is partnering with the luxury fashion label Prada to design spacesuits, and another is trying to build quantum computers."

Before they sought Pentagon and defense contracts, neither Trump son had notable experience in the defense tech industry. They do not hold any government titles and are currently the vice presidents of the Trump Organization. The White House has denied any inappropriate conduct surrounding the sons' investments or potential conflicts of interest.

"Trump’s sons have described their investments in patriotic terms," according to The Post. "Eric Trump has said the U.S. 'better be winning' the AI race. Trump Jr. has repeatedly argued that the U.S. should be developing an industrial base that can crank out drones to meet potential threats from China."

Political analysts reacted to the explosive new report.

"How fortunate for these two that Daddy can pardon them on the way out the door. Those around them may be less fortunate," Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney appointed by former President Barack Obama, wrote on X.

"Trump Jr. & Eric Trump now have investments in over a dozen defense tech companies. Thanks to the nature of defense tech companies, their only real viability is if they can get gov contracts, & guess what! Turns out it is pretty easy to get gov contracts when your dad is the most corrupt president in history," the account They Call Me Gary, a progressive political commentator, wrote on Bluesky.

Trump has defense companies on edge as he privately rages over thinning stockpiles: report

Trump is angry over the United States' dwindling stockpile of missiles as he looks to once again escalate the conflict with Iran, according to a new report.

According to insiders who spoke to NBC News, "the president has expressed anger to aides and allies over thinning American stockpiles."

Amid war in Iran, the U.S. military is burning through the Pentagon's supplies of missiles and interceptors, according to NBC News, citing defense officials. While Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed concerns, military officials, lawmakers, and outside experts worry about how the U.S. will respond if another enemy attacks, NBC News noted.

At the same time, Trump is mulling whether to restart major combat operations in Iran on top of the new strikes launched in retaliation for a downed Apache helicopter earlier this week.

Leaders from about seven defense companies are preparing to meet with Trump at the White House later this week, and they expect a contentious discussion because of missile stockpiles, insiders told NBC News. One person familiar with the meeting told NBC News they expect it's "going to be ugly."

Those defense industry leaders are expecting Trump to press them to quickly produce arms and restock the Pentagon's inventory, according to NBC News.

A White House official denied that such a meeting is scheduled "at this time," according to NBC News. The Pentagon didn't respond to NBC News' request for comment.

Jan. 6 rioter hired by Pentagon is handling 'extremely sensitive' security issues: NYT

A convicted January 6 rioter hired by the Trump administration will be working in a "sensitive" Pentagon office, the New York Times reported.

Elias Irizarry, who was just 19 years old when he entered the Capitol through a broken window, carrying a metal pole, will work for the Pentagon's Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict office, per the NYT.

The office is responsible for defending against terrorist acts and asymmetric warfare and supporting U.S. commandos, according to the NYT.

"The office he was hired for works with the most elite military units and on extremely sensitive national security issues," Michael Lumpkin, a former assistant defense secretary for the office, told the NYT. "It used to be that any possible negative perception about a hire like this would prevent it from happening."

Trump pardoned Irizarry last year, but it's unclear who tapped Irizarry to work in the Pentagon, the NYT noted.