Hegseth is “the killer”… and this is not a Netflix series

 Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein, 4-12-2025
Translated by Tlaxcala

While Donald Trump was sketching out the composition of his cabinet after being elected and before taking office, he made a decision: the neoconservatives who had caused him so many problems during his first administration would have no place this time. Thus, he excluded, among others, Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, John Bolton and Elliott Abrams, who had held senior positions in his previous government.

But something went wrong. After the last Senate election, the upper chamber ended up with 53 Republican senators, 45 Democrats and 2 independents who usually vote with the Democrats. Among the 53 Republicans elected, four — Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, both part of the Florida mafia, Bernie Moreno, of Colombian origin and senator for Ohio, and Ted Cruz, of Cuban origin and senator for Texas — later joined by Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, identify ideologically with the fascist far-right grouped within the neoconservative sector of the current U.S. administration.

Although a minority, they held enough votes to determine outcomes in the Senate. They made this known to Trump, who needed them to pass his projects, so he reluctantly had to accept whatever they demanded… and they demanded the State Department, where they installed one of their own: Marco Rubio. From that moment, Trump became politically blackmailed by this group. Many decisions stem from this coercion exerted by the neoconservative wing of his government. And apparently, he can do nothing, because thanks to them not only his cabinet was approved, but also the budget and the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA),” an absurdity passed by senators eager to please the president.

Thus, Trump managed to get his cabinet nominations approved. However, when it came to appointing the head of what was then the Department of Defense — now renamed Department of War — the vote resulted in a tie that had to be broken by Vice President J.D. Vance.

 
How to draw Pete Hegseth, by  Michael de Adder

This is how Peter Brian Hegseth, known as Pete, assumed the country’s highest military office despite the rejection of half the senators, including three Republicans. The arguments against him centered on his lack of experience, as well as rape accusations brought by a woman in 2017 — apparently “resolved” through a payment for silence.

Hegseth, a shadowy figure born 45 years ago in Minneapolis, Minnesota, whose prior “experience” amounts to being a television host known for ultra-reactionary and conservative views — including pronounced and explicit homophobia based on the notion that homosexuality was alien to Western civilization — had declared that “the homosexual lifestyle is abnormal and immoral.”

His disposition is also plainly visible in his tattoo of the “Jerusalem Cross”, symbol of the Christian crusaders, reflecting extremist Christian ideology. Another tattoo includes the expression “Deus Vult”, Latin for “God wills it”, a Crusades battle cry later adopted by white supremacists.

Hegseth has authored four books. In the first, he offers an apology for the slave-based societies of the Southern states prior to the Civil War. He also believes that “women should never have been given the right to vote.” In his second book, American Crusade (2020), he wrote: “Just as the Christian crusaders repelled the Muslim hordes in the 12th century, American crusaders must show the same courage against today’s Islamists.”

Trump considered his brief participation in the U.S. Army National Guard sufficient grounds to appoint him secretary of Defence, ignoring the fact that he rose only to the rank of captain and completed no advanced officer or strategic command training. What must generals and admirals with 35 or more years of service think of being commanded by a captain? Someone might argue that expertise is not gained only within the armed forces — true — but this captain has no political experience either: he failed in his bid to become a senator for his home state, which pushed him into a television job at Fox News, where lack of qualifications are not a great obstacle.

Upon assuming the new post, quickly revealing his lack of preparedness for such responsibility, he — in collusion with Marco Rubio — has led his tenure in two directions. First, he has pushed for a strategic reorientation of U.S. military doctrine, shifting its priorities from countering China and Russia — repeatedly stated by senior military leaders in congressional testimony — toward internal threats and the situation in the Western Hemisphere. According to an expert consulted by the German outlet Politico, the shift “does not appear to align at all with President Trump's aggressive positions toward China.”

The second orientation, arising from the first, is that military doctrine should focus on protecting U.S. borders supposedly threatened by drug trafficking and migration, including combating these “enemies” inside the country itself.

An increasing number of influential voices in the U.S. are warning about the risks such a doctrine poses. Journalist Tucker Carlson warned that “in the future, the United States could face a civil war.” His argument is based on protests against ICE and on the disturbances linked to Antifa, designated by the Trump administration as a “terrorist organization”. Hegseth and Rubio want to involve the U.S. armed forces on behalf of Trump and the Republicans in any such internal conflict. Likewise, governors have shown increasing resistance to allowing military presence in their states without authorization.

Another facet of Hegseth’s leadership is his intention to “clean out” the Pentagon of high-ranking officers “linked to the Democratic Party” or who adopted inclusive policies under the Biden administration. In this context, the secretary of War (he changed the department’s name from Department of Defence) has fired or sidelined at least two dozen senior military officers in the past ten months. Likewise, about twenty generals and admirals have requested early retirement, including Admiral Alvin Hosley, head of U.S. Southern Command.

Many of these officers were expelled with little explanation, sometimes contradicting the advice of senior commanders who had served with them in combat. These actions have reportedly created a climate of “anxiety and distrust”, forcing leaders to take sides and at times pitting them against one another.

Simultaneously, sources reveal that the Pentagon chief has delayed or cancelled the promotions of at least four senior officers because they previously worked for retired General Mark Milley, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff until 2023.

In one of the most notable changes, Trump appointed a new vice chief of staff of the Army to replace General James Mingus, who served less than two years. He nominated Lieutenant General Christopher LaNeve — unsurprisingly, a close adviser to Hegseth in his role as Senior Military Assistant.

This was the context in which, on Tuesday, September 30, Hegseth gathered — for the first time since World War II — more than 800 generals and admirals at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, about 30 km from Washington.

The unusualness of the meeting was not only its scale but its purpose. One might assume it was meant to discuss global strategic matters, but it was not. Despite Trump’s introductory remarks about a “very beautiful meeting” to discuss “excellent military results”, the reality was different.

The atmosphere was tense: many generals worried about the security risks of bringing so many high-ranking officers into one location, when a videoconference using the Pentagon’s secure internal systems would have sufficed, avoiding complex logistics. Confidentiality was also compromised.

 Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News

In his speech, Hegseth attacked “woke ideology”, claiming it had developed within the military under previous administrations. Among measures he announced: no allowance for overweight personnel, bearded personnel, long-haired personnel, or “superficial individual expressions”. He also attacked women, saying they would not be allowed in combat, and announced the return of “hard-core fighters” who had left under the “woke department”. He promised reforms in harassment-investigation methods, declared “the end of men wearing dresses”, as well as of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, promising a new army shaped after the MAGA administration.

Before Hegseth’s remarks, Trump had declared that major urban centers were “very dangerous places [so] we will bring them to order one by one […] It will be an important task for some of the people in this room […] It is an internal war,” he concluded.

The meeting will not go down in history for its content but for the stunned faces of generals and admirals listening to the speeches and to the tirades against obesity, beards, homosexuality in the armed forces, and the need to limit the presence of women.

Another facet of Hegseth’s management is his unprecedented attacks on the media, targeting individual reporters and the industry as a whole. Since his arrival, some outlets have been expelled from shared spaces, journalists’ movement inside the Pentagon has been restricted, and some press credentials have been revoked.

Among the journalists harshly attacked is Jennifer Griffin of Fox News, a veteran Pentagon reporter repeatedly targeted by Hegseth’s “acid” remarks. Courtney Kube of NBC News was also targeted after coverage that — according to The New York Times — included unflattering information about Hegseth’s past, such as testimony from a family member regarding abusive behavior toward his second wife. These details surfaced during his nomination. Shortly after taking office, Hegseth ordered that she be expelled from the Pentagon — an order that could not be executed for lack of legal basis.

In his most recent action, Hegseth allegedly ordered the killing of two fishermen who survived an attack after being baselessly accused of drug trafficking. Democratic Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut called the attacks “illegal killings” and “troubling”, and stated that Congress is receiving very little information from the Trump administration. Himes, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, acknowledged but dismissed a White House memorandum justifying the attacks. “Based on what I know now and on reading this memo, these are illegal killings,” he said. “They are illegal because the idea that the United States — and this is the administration’s justification — is engaged in an armed conflict with any Venezuelan drug trafficker is absurd. It would not stand in any court.”

In this context, a true internal war has erupted, with discussion emerging about the loss of “confidence” in Hegseth’s ability to negotiate at high levels, according to a Politico article published on November 21. This led to an escalation of rhetoric within MAGA circles. One of its most notorious representatives, far-right activist Laura Loomer, accused Driscoll of ties to the Democratic Party and of “planning a coup d’état against Hegseth.”

According to Politico, the latest trip to Kiev by senior Pentagon officials, led by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, illustrates Hegseth’s loss of credibility and relevance.

No one knows whether Hegseth can withstand the heavy pressure he is under. Weeks ago, a source close to the Pentagon said he appeared so nervous that he seemed “on the verge of exploding.” Surrounded by one of the world’s most powerful protective apparatuses, he has been particularly concerned for his safety since the assassination of ultraconservative activist Charlie Kirk during a public event.

According to the British Daily Mail on September 29, citing sources close to him, Hegseth’s fear “is reflected in erratic behavior toward his staff.” Two anonymous Pentagon insiders said that in recent weeks he has launched tirades, lashed out at subordinates and become obsessed with security matters. “He has a manic quality — or rather, an even more manic quality, which is saying something,” said one source, describing him as visibly distracted, restless, standing up and pacing during meetings.

Now, like the coward he is, he has refused to take responsibility for the “kill them all” order that led to the murder of the fishermen in the Caribbean, pushing Admiral Frank M. Bradley, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, to absorb all the repercussions. According to The Washington Post, “Bradley, then head of Joint Special Operations Command, oversaw an attack in the Caribbean on September 2, 2025, ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against a vessel suspected of drug trafficking. The Post reported that “Bradley ordered a second strike after identifying two survivors via drone feed, following Hegseth’s directive to leave no survivors.”

We shall see what consequences might arise from admirals with more than 35 years of service — now commanding aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, destroyers and cruisers — ending their careers by destroying small civilian vessels and killing peaceful fishermen. This may also help explain why suicides, drug addiction and post-war trauma are rising daily within the U.S. armed forces. To maintain this machinery, they also need the drug trade they claim to fight. It is part of the functional framework of that decadent society.