Brace yourselves for a bit of intrigue.
Several Washington leaders, both current and past, are taken aback by recent developments.
The buzz is not just about Donald Trump potentially returning as president and commander in chief.
But more so, it’s about his decision to tap a lower-ranked army major to step into the shoes of a four-star general as secretary of defense.
By now, many have heard that Trump has selected Pete Hegseth, 44, well-known as a Fox News host and a combat veteran, author, and advocate for veterans, to take over from Gen. Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon’s helm.
One of Hegseth’s primary tasks will be delivering on Trump’s promises: revitalizing the military, rooting out what some refer to as “wokeism” and associated officers, doing away with diversity initiatives, limiting women in combat roles, and boosting military recruitment.
Trump announced, “Pete is tough, smart, and a steadfast believer in America First. With Pete leading, our enemies will be on alert. Our military will regain its greatness, and America will never back down.”
Additionally, Hegseth aims to ensure generals focus squarely on their duty—defending the homeland—without venturing into partisan politics or becoming politicians themselves.
This move also provides Trump a stage to respond to several generals who opposed him after being appointed and later dismissed during his initial presidential term.
Among these are Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, who served as Trump’s chief of staff, Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, Trump’s first secretary of defense, and Army Gen. Mark Milley, Trump’s chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Mattis, the first to part ways, later accused Trump of being a threat to the nation. Kelly, who departed next, labeled Trump a “fascist.” Milley, not one to hold back, echoed that sentiment, calling Trump “a fascist to the core.”
These figures, along with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and their political allies, even compared Trump to Hitler.
Trump’s counter? Labeling them all as dimwitted.
Thus, it felt peculiar to witness a so-called “Hitler” be invited to the White House by President Joe Biden just the other week.
One might assume that if Trump had indeed been akin to Hitler, some action would have been taken by one of these military officers to prevent any potential threat to America.
A graduate from Princeton, Hegseth is a skilled communicator with service experience at Guantanamo Bay, and on battlegrounds in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he also served as a senior instructor in counterinsurgency tactics in Kabul.
He has earned the Combat Infantryman Badge along with two Bronze Stars for his service.
Though Hegseth hasn’t occupied any government roles outside the military, his America First advocacy and support for Trump are well-known.
His previous roles include leading advocacy groups Concerned Veterans of America and Vets for Freedom.
Contrary to other military leaders, Hegseth isn’t expected to craft policy, but rather to implement the directives of the commander-in-chief. In simpler terms, he won’t be contacting intelligence contacts in China behind the president’s back as Milley did.
Furthermore, Trump is pondering the introduction of a “warrior board” to monitor and review three- and four-star military officers, potentially fast-tracking removal for those considered unsuitable for leadership.
Trump has earlier advocated for removing generals tied to Biden’s flawed, deadly, and embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan, if they haven’t already retired.
It’s worth noting that Trump isn’t the first president to have a contentious relationship with military leaders. President Harry Truman, back in 1951, dismissed the controversial Gen. Douglas MacArthur, a celebrated figure from World War II, for suggesting actions against U.S. policy—specifically, invading China during the Korean War.
Sounding a bit like Trump today, Truman remarked, “I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was. But that’s not illegal for generals. If it were, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail.”
When MacArthur retired after long military service, he famously declared to Congress that, like an old soldier, he’d just fade away—which he did.
Modern-day generals, however, opt for careers as lobbyists instead of quietly stepping out of the limelight.
Peter Lucas is a seasoned political journalist. You can reach him at: [email protected].
