President Donald Trump is facing growing pressure to make Pete Hegseth the first major casualty of his second term after the Pentagon chief was accused of putting his own troops in danger.
A damning report on the Signalgate scandal reportedly laid the blame on Hegseth for compromising sensitive war plans.
But the blunder is just the latest in a series of embarrassments for the hapless former Fox & Friends Weekend host.
They include:
- Democrats demanding that he face war crimes charges for allegedly demanding that everyone aboard a targeted “narco terrorist” boat in the Caribbean be wiped out. A first U.S. strike on the vessel on Sept. 2 left two survivors, who were then killed by a second missile. Both Trump and Hegseth have sought to distance themselves from the backlash and to put the responsibility on Admiral Frank M. Bradley, the commander who carried out the operation.
- Posting a poor taste meme over the weekend depicting a cartoon turtle, Franklin, from a children’s book, opening fire from a helicopter with a rocket launcher on a cargo vessel.
- Inviting Elon Musk to a classified Pentagon briefing in March about plans for a possible war with China.
- Infuriating allies by appearing to favor Russia in the war against Ukraine during his first official visit to Europe in February.
- Threatening to force Democratic lawmaker Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot, back into service for court martial after he appeared in a video urging service members not to follow “unlawful orders.”
- Kicking out all of the traditional media from the Pentagon press room—including his former employer, Fox News—after they refused to sign a pledge that they wouldn’t publish any unapproved information.
- Demanding his generals fly in from around the world to assemble at Quantico for a September lecture on what it takes to be a soldier (being clean-shaven, trim and maintaining a “warrior ethos”).
Despite his public support for Hegseth, there are signs that the president may not have complete confidence in the man whose only qualifications for the role are his service in the Army National Guard. The 45-year-old served tours of duty in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay and reached the rank of major.
Hegseth was reportedly blocked out of the biggest, and arguably most successful, military operation of Trump’s second term—the missile attacks on Iran.
He was also overlooked in November, when Trump needed someone from the Pentagon to engage with Russia in the aborted peace talks. Instead of Hegseth, Trump asked Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll (a possible successor?) to fly to Moscow.
The watchdog report on Signalgate has revived one of Hegseth’s worst moments in the job—and one he likely thought he had survived.
The defense secretary shared details about an upcoming military operation on the Signal group chat app with colleagues who inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.
CNN obtained a report by the inspector general on the leak on Wednesday. It is said to criticize Hegseth for endangering the lives of U.S. troops with his use of the app.
According to CNN, Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the Pentagon watchdog.
It couldn’t have come at a worse time for the beleaguered Trumper.
The president is widely believed to be waiting until a year has passed in his second term before making his first Cabinet reshuffle.
It is looking increasingly likely that Hegseth will be the first to go.
