U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth talked about DEI, gender-neutral standards, bringing back soldiers who refused the COVID vaccine and other topics during a wide-ranging speech at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Wednesday morning. The secretary's helicopter touched down around 9 a.m. Around half an hour later, he spoke to students, family and faculty at the college. "We are leaving wokeness and weakness behind and refocusing on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards and readiness," he said. Hegseth also shared what President Donald Trump told him when he asked him to be secretary of defense. "The president said to me, 'I want you to restore the warrior ethos of our military. Full stop.' And so, that is exactly what I have set out to do all 100 (first) days. Fighting for you is the privilege of a lifetime, a deployment of a lifetime. And from day one, and each of those 100 days, our overriding objectives have been clear, restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military and re-establishing deterrence," he said. Hegseth also touted Trump's efforts to reshape the Department of Defense.Video below: Hegseth lands at U.S. Army War College.“Under the leadership of President Trump, the message to our adversaries in these first 100 days in office has been undeniably clear. America is back. At the Defense Department, no more distractions, no more social engineering, no climate change worship, no more electric tanks, no more gender confusion, no more pronouns, no more excuses, no more quotas, no more woke bull**** that undermines commanders and command climates,” Hegseth said. NBC ReportsHegseth's visit comes as he faces new accusations of leaking military information about strikes in Yemen.NBC news is reporting Hegseth used his personal phone to send that information to a 13-person group chat on signal that includes his wife and brother.The details included when U.S. fighter jets would take off and when they would hit their targets.Video below: 'Leaving wokeness, weakness behind,' Hegseth says.This comes a month after reports of Yemen strike information being leaked in another group chat that included the editor of the Atlantic.According to NBC, he did so after an aide had warned him to be careful not to share sensitive information on an unsecure communications system before the Yemen operation.Hegseth dismisses reportsSpeaking with reporters at the White House Egg Roll on Monday, Hegseth dismissed reports of the leaks, but did not deny them."This is what the media does. They take anonymous sources, disgruntled former employees and they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. Not gonna work with me because we're changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of warfighters," Hegseth said.Hegseth and the Trump Administration are also facing backlash from Senate Democrats over military policies.Video below: What Trump told him when he asked him to be secretary of defense.A new policy in the Department of Defense effectively bans transgender men and women from serving in the military or attending service academies.This reverses an executive order in 2021 by Former President Joe Biden that allowed them to serve.A memo, which was issued in February, lays out policies in order to "maintain high mental and physical standards necessary for military service."The policy says the defense department only recognizes the male and female sexes and says any individual with gender dysphoria, or has a history of symptoms of gender dysphoria, are not fit to serve.Fetterman sends letterPennsylvania U.S. Senator John Fetterman is condemning President Donald Trump's transgender military service ban.In a letter sent to Hegseth, Fetterman and 13 other Democratic senators say the ban is a violation of service members' civil rights and a threat to national security.In Tuesday's letter, lawmakers asked Secretary Hegseth if the Trump Administration is complying with court orders that halted the ban, and demanded to find out if any transgender service members have been dismissed under the executive order.On X, Fetterman posted he is unapologetically pro-military and believes in a strong, lethal military, but says he is also unapologetically pro the LGBTQ community.
CARLISLE, Pa. —
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth talked about DEI, gender-neutral standards, bringing back soldiers who refused the COVID vaccine and other topics during a wide-ranging speech at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Wednesday morning.
The secretary's helicopter touched down around 9 a.m. Around half an hour later, he spoke to students, family and faculty at the college.
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"We are leaving wokeness and weakness behind and refocusing on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards and readiness," he said.
Hegseth also shared what President Donald Trump told him when he asked him to be secretary of defense.
"The president said to me, 'I want you to restore the warrior ethos of our military. Full stop.' And so, that is exactly what I have set out to do all 100 (first) days. Fighting for you is the privilege of a lifetime, a deployment of a lifetime. And from day one, and each of those 100 days, our overriding objectives have been clear, restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military and re-establishing deterrence," he said.
Hegseth also touted Trump's efforts to reshape the Department of Defense.
Video below: Hegseth lands at U.S. Army War College.
“Under the leadership of President Trump, the message to our adversaries in these first 100 days in office has been undeniably clear. America is back. At the Defense Department, no more distractions, no more social engineering, no climate change worship, no more electric tanks, no more gender confusion, no more pronouns, no more excuses, no more quotas, no more woke bull**** that undermines commanders and command climates,” Hegseth said.
NBC Reports
Hegseth's visit comes as he faces new accusations of leaking military information about strikes in Yemen.
NBC news is reporting Hegseth used his personal phone to send that information to a 13-person group chat on signal that includes his wife and brother.
The details included when U.S. fighter jets would take off and when they would hit their targets.
Video below: 'Leaving wokeness, weakness behind,' Hegseth says.
This comes a month after reports of Yemen strike information being leaked in another group chat that included the editor of the Atlantic.
According to NBC, he did so after an aide had warned him to be careful not to share sensitive information on an unsecure communications system before the Yemen operation.
Hegseth dismisses reports
Speaking with reporters at the White House Egg Roll on Monday, Hegseth dismissed reports of the leaks, but did not deny them.
"This is what the media does. They take anonymous sources, disgruntled former employees and they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. Not gonna work with me because we're changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of warfighters," Hegseth said.
Hegseth and the Trump Administration are also facing backlash from Senate Democrats over military policies.
Video below: What Trump told him when he asked him to be secretary of defense.
A new policy in the Department of Defense effectively bans transgender men and women from serving in the military or attending service academies.
This reverses an executive order in 2021 by Former President Joe Biden that allowed them to serve.
A memo, which was issued in February, lays out policies in order to "maintain high mental and physical standards necessary for military service."
The policy says the defense department only recognizes the male and female sexes and says any individual with gender dysphoria, or has a history of symptoms of gender dysphoria, are not fit to serve.
Fetterman sends letter
Pennsylvania U.S. Senator John Fetterman is condemning President Donald Trump's transgender military service ban.
In a letter sent to Hegseth, Fetterman and 13 other Democratic senators say the ban is a violation of service members' civil rights and a threat to national security.
In Tuesday's letter, lawmakers asked Secretary Hegseth if the Trump Administration is complying with court orders that halted the ban, and demanded to find out if any transgender service members have been dismissed under the executive order.
On X, Fetterman posted he is unapologetically pro-military and believes in a strong, lethal military, but says he is also unapologetically pro the LGBTQ community.
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