Pete Hegseth

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Pentagon: 'Midnight Hammer' Operation Did 'Severe Damage'

Hegseth says the strikes on Iran are not about 'regime change'

(Newser) - Defense chief Pete Hegseth emphasized Sunday that the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were part of a "focused" mission and do not represent the start of an "open-ended" conflict. Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke to reporters at a Pentagon...

Macron Takes Message From EU to Greenland

A takeover isn't 'something to be done between allies,' French president says

(Newser) - French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Sunday in Greenland, the strategic Arctic island coveted by President Trump, carrying a "message of solidarity and friendship" from France and the European Union. Macron quickly reiterated his criticism of Trump's intention to take control of the territory, the AP reports. "I...

Hegseth Won't Commit to Obeying Court on LA Protests

He says local judges shouldn't be determining national security policy

(Newser) - A federal judge will deal with California Gov. Gavin Newsom's request to block troops from taking part in immigration raids on Thursday—but it's not clear Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will respect the decision if he disagrees with it. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday, Hegseth...

Hegseth Expects Use of National Guard to Expand

He faces lawmakers in testy House hearing

(Newser) - "Your tenure as secretary has been marked by endless chaos," Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a heated hearing Tuesday. The House Appropriations subcommittee on defense hearing, one of four hearings scheduled over the next week, was the first time Hegseth had faced Congress....

Sending Troops to LA Will Cost $134M
Sending Troops to LA
Will Cost $134M
Jun 10, 2025 12:08 PM CDT

Sending Troops to LA Will Cost $134M

Hegseth deputy answers question during congressional hearing

(Newser) - Defense chief Pete Hegseth's testimony before a House panel on Tuesday yielded a tangible nugget about the Los Angeles protests: The cost of deploying Marines and the National Guard to keep them under control for two months is $134 million, reports Politico . President Trump has ordered 4,000 members...

Vance Tries to Find New Aides for Hegseth

JD Vance is helping with Pentagon's job search

(Newser) - Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles are trying to help Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fill job openings in his inner circle after at least three people dropped out of consideration. The high-ranking positions available included chief of staff, as well as several senior adviser...

Newsom Calls Threat to Use Marines 'Deranged'

Los Angeles is mostly calm, but National Guard and immigration enforcement protesters clash at federal complex

(Newser) - National Guard members sent tear gas into a crowd of protesters outside a federal detention center in Los Angeles on Sunday, while President Trump and his aides escalated their threats to use force against demonstrators opposing immigration enforcement . Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X that active-duty Marines stationed at...

Watchdog Probes if Pentagon Staffers Deleted Signal Texts

Inspector general also wants to know who had access to Secretary Hegseth's phone

(Newser) - A Pentagon watchdog is looking into whether any of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's aides were asked to delete Signal messages that may have shared sensitive military information with a reporter, per two people familiar with the investigation and documents reviewed by the AP . The inspector general's request focuses...

Report: Navy Ordered to Rename USNS Harvey Milk

Oiler was named for slain gay rights activist

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a highly unusual move that will strip the ship of the moniker of a slain gay rights activist who served as a sailor during the Korean War. US officials say Navy Secretary John Phelan put together...

Press Group: New Pentagon Restrictions a 'Direct Attack'

Journalists must now have escorts when visiting DOD, per new rules from Secretary Pete Hegseth

(Newser) - The Pentagon has tightened access for journalists, with new rules requiring official escorts for credentialed reporters in most areas of the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the change on Friday, saying it's meant to better protect classified intelligence and operational security, per Reuters . Journalists won't be...

Hegseth Holds Prayer Service in Pentagon That Praises Trump

Secretary says he wants to hold the event, held during working hours, monthly

(Newser) - In an event that Military.com notes "pushes the boundaries" of the Constitution's prohibition on a state religion, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led an evangelical Christian prayer service at the Pentagon on Wednesday, during working hours, that included praise for President Trump as divinely appointed. The "Secretary...

SCOTUS Says Transgender Military Ban Can Proceed

Court's 3 liberal justices dissent

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed President Trump's administration to enforce a ban on transgender people in the military while legal challenges proceed. The court's three liberal justices said they would have kept the policy on hold, the AP reports. The court acted in the dispute over a...

Hegseth Announces 20% Cut to Military Leadership Roles

'More generals and admirals does not lead to more success'

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday directed the active-duty military to shed 20% of its four-star general officers as the Trump administration moves forward with deep cuts. Hegseth also told the National Guard to eliminate 20% of its top positions and directed the military to cut an additional 10% of...

Waltz Seemed to Be Using Signal in Cabinet Meeting

Modified app showed apparent chats with Vance, Rubio in photos

(Newser) - The day before Mike Waltz was ousted as President Trump's national security adviser, photographers captured him apparently using a modified version of the Signal app that got him in trouble during a Cabinet meeting. Reuters photos taken Wednesday show parts of several conversations Waltz was having about government business...

Hegseth Says He Ended 'Woke' Program Trump Made Law

He later said Biden 'ruined' Women, Peace and Security program

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boasted on social media Tuesday that he had dismantled a program supporting women on security teams—and may not have realized the program he tried to break was not a "woke" Biden-era initiative but instead a celebrated program signed into law by his boss, President...

Hegseth's Chief of Staff Is Latest Pentagon Departure

Defense secretary says 'great American' Joe Kasper wasn't fired

(Newser) - Another senior Pentagon employee has departed—but unlike three top advisers fired last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's chief of staff wasn't escorted out of the building by security. Joe Kasper tells Politico that he is leaving the role and plans to return to government relations and consulting...

Hegseth Added Internet Line That Avoided Pentagon Security

Such an installation conceals the identity of the user

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, two people familiar with the line told the AP . Known as a "dirty" internet line in the IT industry,...

Hegseth Comes Out Swinging Over Rumored Makeup Studio

Defense secretary slams 'totally fake story' about upgrade to greenroom at Defense Department

(Newser) - Pete Hegseth is getting a brief respite from Signalgate with a much more frivolous development that's making headlines. Sources tell CBS News that the defense secretary recently threw down an order to modify a room adjoining the Pentagon's press briefing area, and that those plans included a request...

After Slight at Trump, Base Commander Suspended

Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez disciplined after portraits of president, Hegseth were flipped to face a wall

(Newser) - The US Army has suspended a Wisconsin training base's first female commander after discovering portraits of President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been flipped around to face a wall. The Army has posted an undated statement on Fort McCoy's website saying Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez has...

Report: Hegseth Shared Info From Secure Military System

NBC News reports that details he shared on Signal were sent to him by top general

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared sensitive information about airstrikes on Yemen on the Signal app within minutes of receiving it from a general on a secure system used by the government, according to multiple reports. NBC News , citing "three US officials with direct knowledge of the exchanges," reports...

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