Hegseth Reforms Defense Department Despite Many Plots Against Him
Since taking office as Secretary of Defense in January 2025, Pete Hegseth has overseen a remarkable turnaround in U.S. military recruiting, reversing years of decline with what some have called the “Trump Bump.” By March 2025, the Army reported its strongest recruiting numbers in 15 years, with a 12.5% increase in enlistments from 2023 to 2024 continuing into early 2025, reaching 73% of the Army’s annual goal by March alone. The Navy and Air Force also saw significant gains, with increases of 6,300 and 2,200 recruits, respectively, in 2024. Hegseth attributes this success to his focus on restoring a “warrior ethos,” prioritizing lethality and meritocracy over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which he argues had alienated traditional military families. Morale among troops, particularly those stationed at the southern border, has also reportedly improved, with pay raises and a reduction in DEI spending resonating with many service members who felt the military had lost its focus on core missions.
However, Hegseth’s achievements have been met with fierce opposition from what some describe as a corrupt military-industrial complex and its allies in the mainstream media, often labeled “FakeNews” by critics. In March 2025, a scandal erupted when The Atlantic revealed that Hegseth had shared sensitive details of a planned airstrike on Houthi rebels in Yemen via an unclassified Signal chat, inadvertently including journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. The incident, which involved operational details like aircraft types and attack timing, was a clear breach of security protocols—information that could have endangered U.S. personnel if accessed by adversaries. Critics, including Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, called for his resignation, arguing that such a lapse would have resulted in a court-martial for any soldier. Yet, supporters of Hegseth, including some on X, argue that this was a manufactured controversy, blown out of proportion by a media and defense establishment desperate to undermine a reformer threatening their entrenched interests.
The backlash against Hegseth is seen by his defenders as part of a broader smear campaign orchestrated by the military-industrial complex and its “mockingbird stenographers” in the media, who are accused of prioritizing profit and control over national security. Allegations of past misconduct, including sexual assault, financial mismanagement, and excessive drinking, have been resurfaced from his time at veteran-focused nonprofits and Fox News, despite Hegseth dismissing them as a “coordinated smear campaign” during his Senate confirmation hearings. Critics like Senator Maggie Hassan have questioned his qualifications, pointing to his limited managerial experience and the scale of the Defense Department’s 3.4 million personnel and $850 billion budget. However, Hegseth’s allies argue that these attacks are a distraction from his success in revitalizing the military, suggesting that the establishment fears his push to dismantle DEI programs and refocus the Pentagon on warfighting, which threatens the lucrative contracts and influence of defense contractors. The debate continues to rage, with Hegseth’s future hanging in the balance as he navigates both his reforms and the opposition determined to see him ousted.
