Exclusive: The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense secretary

Servus · Apr 28, 2026

The OP was posted over a year ago. Has Hegseth been replaced yet?

A2SG · Apr 28, 2026

Servus said:
The OP was posted over a year ago. Has Hegseth been replaced yet?

Nope, which only shows that Trump values loyalty to Trump over competence.

-- A2SG, which is something narcissists tend to do.....

Laodicean60 · Apr 28, 2026

Servus said:
The OP was posted over a year ago. Has Hegseth been replaced yet?

Nope

Laodicean60 said:
I bet they are, even though they deny it. The dude is nuttin' up left and right. I wager 100000 blessing points that he's going to be fired.

I should stop betting I lost points here like I do the stock market. I will admit I was prejudiced against him because because he was a media type.

wing2000 · Apr 28, 2026

Servus said:
The OP was posted over a year ago. Has Hegseth been replaced yet?

....sadly, no. No Sec of Defense has done more damage to our military than Pete Hesegeth. His politically driven purge of the senior officer corp violates the norms of a professional military - a norm that many Americans have taken for grant it....apparently.

iluvatar5150 · Apr 28, 2026

wing2000 said:
....sadly, no. No Sec of Defense has done more damage to our military than Pete Hesegeth.

Bob McNamara has entered the chat.

Always in His Presence · Apr 28, 2026

A2SG said:
First, there are a lot of people, particularly within the Republican party, who fear reprisals from Trump for saying anything even slightly negative about him or any of his acolytes. We've seen that happen, so it's not an unwarranted concern on their part.

Without verifiable facts - this is nothing more than hearsay and innuendo.

A2SG said:
Second, while the source is anonymous to us, as readers, as Hans noted, they are not anonymous to the reporters and editors. Reporters, at least professional ones, will grant anonymity in return for information that can't get by other means.

Which is hearsay -

Definition of Hearsay

Noun

Unverified information acquired from another person, which is not part of one’s own knowledge.

A2SG said:
They may not always be able to cite those sources in the story, but they exist. Think Deep Throat during the Watergate scandal. Sure, no one beyond Bob Woodward (and Ben Bradlee) knew it was really Mark Felt, but Woodward knew the information was reliable. He wasn't talking to just some random yahoo.

How was it verified?

A2SG said:
And neither is Alexander Bolton from the Hill, who is a professional journalist working at a legitimate news outlet.

George Stephanopoulos is a professional journalist working a legitimate news outlet and his words and unverifiable "facts" just cost them $16,000,000

A2SG said:
This is just one of the ways professional journalists do their job

And lose them

A2SG said:
. If you prefer to simply dismiss these anonymous sources out of hand, that's your prerogative. Certainly, there are less than credible news outlets out there, but The Hill ranks pretty high on the reliability chart, far as I know.

The only way a source is credible is if the facts can be verified. With out verification credibility has no base other than -'yeah, I believe that.

A2SG said:
-- A2SG, of course, your mileage may vary.....some do prefer more biased media sources.....

I prefer something provable.

Rule 802. The Rule Against Hearsay

Hearsay is not admissible unless any of the following provides otherwise:

Read - learn for yourself.

Hans Blaster · Apr 28, 2026

Always in His Presence said:
I prefer something provable.

Rule 802. The Rule Against Hearsay
Hearsay is not admissible unless any of the following provides otherwise:

Read - learn for yourself.

Newspaper articles are not court testimony. They are not required to follow the same rules, nor should they be expected to.

Always in His Presence · Apr 28, 2026

wing2000 said:
....sadly, no. No Sec of Defense has done more damage to our military than Pete Hesegeth. His politically driven purge of the senior officer corp violates the norms of a professional military - a norm that many Americans have taken for grant it....apparently.

Absolutely untrue. The changes concerning DEI has brought moral up to the point of one of the highest inductions of new soldiers in recent history. His operational skills and leadership in Venezuela , His Leadership in Iran - the incredible rescue on Easter morning are all examples of excellent leadership

Always in His Presence · Apr 28, 2026

Hans Blaster said:
Newspaper articles are not court testimony. They are not required to follow the same rules, nor should they be expected to.

If you want to believe hearsay - that is up to you.

Say it aint so · Apr 28, 2026

Always in His Presence said:
Absolutely untrue. The changes concerning DEI has brought moral up to the point of one of the highest inductions of new soldiers in recent history. His operational skills and leadership in Venezuela , His Leadership in Iran - the incredible rescue on Easter morning are all examples of excellent leadership

US military morale ‘extremely low’ as troops question point of going to war against Iran

Sparse Meal Photos Aboard US Navy Warships Fuel Debate Over Troop Welfare in the Iran War

'Hungry all the time': USS Tripoli and USS Abraham Lincoln crews report food shortages amid supply delays amid deployment in Middle East

You mean those troops so concerned about Hegseth and illegal orders they sought outside advise have high morale?
Each one of your statements are in fact misstatements. If you think US troops in Iran have confidence of Hegseth's leadership you're ignoring the obvious.

This today:

"In closed-door meetings, J. D. Vance has repeatedly questioned the Defense Department’s depiction of the war in Iran and whether the Pentagon has understated what appears to be the drastic depletion of U.S. missile stockpiles."...

...Both Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, and General Dan Caine, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have publicly said that U.S. weapons stockpiles are robust, and portrayed the damage to Iranian forces after eight weeks of fighting as drastic. Vance’s advisers, who spoke with us on the condition of anonymity, told us that the vice president has presented his concerns as his own rather than accusing Hegseth or Caine of misleading the president...."

That just reeks of confidence and high morale now doesn't it?

Always in His Presence · Apr 28, 2026

Say it aint so said:
US military morale ‘extremely low’ as troops question point of going to war against Iran
Sparse Meal Photos Aboard US Navy Warships Fuel Debate Over Troop Welfare in the Iran War
'Hungry all the time': USS Tripoli and USS Abraham Lincoln crews report food shortages amid supply delays amid deployment in Middle East
You mean those troops so concerned about Hegseth and illegal orders they sought outside advise have high morale?
Each one of your statements are in fact misstatements. If you think US troops in Iran have confidence of Hegseth's leadership you're ignoring the obvious.

This today:

"In closed-door meetings, J. D. Vance has repeatedly questioned the Defense Department’s depiction of the war in Iran and whether the Pentagon has understated what appears to be the drastic depletion of U.S. missile stockpiles."...

...Both Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, and General Dan Caine, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have publicly said that U.S. weapons stockpiles are robust, and portrayed the damage to Iranian forces after eight weeks of fighting as drastic. Vance’s advisers, who spoke with us on the condition of anonymity, told us that the vice president has presented his concerns as his own rather than accusing Hegseth or Caine of misleading the president...."

That just reeks of confidence and high morale now doesn't it?

Really?

All branches of the U.S. Armed Forces met their FY25 recruiting goals, and uniformed personnel appear largely content with their career choice — though the civilian workforce has not adapted well to recent changes. The National Interest

The article linked actually speaks of both sides of the equasion.

Akita Suggagaki · Apr 28, 2026

Hegseth is too barbaric to replace. Perfect for this administration

Say it aint so · Apr 28, 2026

Always in His Presence said:
Really?

All branches of the U.S. Armed Forces met their FY25 recruiting goals, and uniformed personnel appear largely content with their career choice — though the civilian workforce has not adapted well to recent changes. The National Interest

The article linked actually speaks of both sides of the equasion.

Or is it a continuing trend from 2024?

The U.S. Military Branches Reach Recruiting Goals After Years of Shortfalls

Your argument is it was the elimination of DEI. Is that true. No. It was not.

The Billion-Dollar Push: US Military Recruitment Spending

In fiscal year 2023 alone, the military services spent approximately $1.9 billion on traditional and digital recruitment and advertising efforts. The Army led the pack with more than $900 million in spending, while the Navy and Air Force/Space Force spent roughly $280 million each.

This surge in US military recruitment spending was not just about maintaining the status quo; it was an aggressive attempt to capture the attention of a digital-first generation. The Navy, for instance, nearly tripled its monthly media investments in 2023, jumping from $2-3 million per month to an average of $7-9 million. This aggressive spending resulted in a 79 percent increase in views on their recruitment website.

As mentioned, military recruitment numbers started trending upward in 2024 and that trend continued in 2025 because of programs and marketing implemented years earlier. For now, in 2025, here are the active-duty numbers, according to the Department of Defense:

The Army had a goal of 61,000 recruits and attained 62,050, totaling 101.72 percent of its goal.
The Navy had a goal of 40,600 recruits and attained 44,096, totaling 108.61 percent of its goal.
The Air Force had a goal of 30,100 recruits and attained 30,166, totaling 100.22 percent of its goal.
The Space Force had a goal of 796 recruits and attained 819, totaling 102.89 percent of its goal.
The Marine Corps had a goal of 26,600 recruits and attained 26,600, totaling 100 percent of its goal.

wing2000 · Apr 28, 2026

Always in His Presence said:
Absolutely untrue. The changes concerning DEI has brought moral up to the point of one of the highest inductions of new soldiers in recent history. His operational skills and leadership in Venezuela , His Leadership in Iran - the incredible rescue on Easter morning are all examples of excellent leadership

The operational success of the U.S. military in Venezuela and Iran are a result of decades of training and professionalism. Hegseth can try to claim credit...but we know better.

essentialsaltes · Apr 28, 2026

Always in His Presence said:
Really?

All branches of the U.S. Armed Forces met their FY25 recruiting goals

FY25 started in October 2024. As Say it ain't so notes, these trends started under Biden.

GoldenBoy89 · Apr 28, 2026

essentialsaltes said:
FY25 started in October 2024. As Say it ain't so notes, these trends started under Biden.

Schrödinger’s recruiter.

People were joining up under Biden because times were so tough. People are now joining up under Trump because our patriotism is so high.

Nithavela · Apr 28, 2026

What does "exclusive" mean in the context of news story announcements?

Aryeh Jay · Apr 28, 2026

GoldenBoy89 said:
Schrödinger’s recruiter.

People were joining up under Biden because times were so tough. People are now joining up under Trump because our patriotism is so high.

"Meow!"

essentialsaltes · Apr 28, 2026

Nithavela said:
What does "exclusive" mean in the context of news story announcements?

Typically, "we got this scoop first".

Always in His Presence · Apr 28, 2026

essentialsaltes said:
FY25 started in October 2024. As Say it ain't so notes, these trends started under Biden.

Exclusive: The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense secretary

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US military morale ‘extremely low’ as troops question point of going to war against Iran​

Sparse Meal Photos Aboard US Navy Warships Fuel Debate Over Troop Welfare in the Iran War​

'Hungry all the time': USS Tripoli and USS Abraham Lincoln crews report food shortages amid supply delays amid deployment in Middle East​

Jesus is the only Way

US military morale ‘extremely low’ as troops question point of going to war against Iran​

Sparse Meal Photos Aboard US Navy Warships Fuel Debate Over Troop Welfare in the Iran War​

'Hungry all the time': USS Tripoli and USS Abraham Lincoln crews report food shortages amid supply delays amid deployment in Middle East​

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The U.S. Military Branches Reach Recruiting Goals After Years of Shortfalls​

The Billion-Dollar Push: US Military Recruitment Spending​

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