Defense Secretary Pete Hegesh is again under fire, this time, from skeptics or political enemies throughout the political spectrum. But as was the case during the recent presidential transition period, when Trump's opponents resurrected the discredited 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh/Christine Blasey Ford Playbook in an attempt to derail The hegesh nominationBets are now much higher than Hegesh's labor security directed by the Pentagon.
When he was willing to nomination, the Democrats and many in the media were all in an attempt to destroy Hegseth. Like the Anti-Kavanaugh campaign in September 2018, when the then candidate of the Supreme Court of thought was accused of everything, from sexual aggression to group rape (and denied the statements), the recent anti-hegseth operation accused the twice decorated with the veteran of recurring alcoholism, having a Bill Clinton-Dibido de Bill Clinton and, yes, sexual aggression (he has also denied the claim). But the arranged effort to sink the Hegseth nomination was Not really about Hegseth. It was an attempt to talk about the waters, demonstrate the vulnerability of Trump and sabotage the incoming administration before he even assumed the position. Fortunately, the The cynical effort failed. And military recruitment, perhaps the most important priority of Hegseth's day, already very beneficiary.
Fast advance a little. Hegesh was one of the main officials of Trump's administration trapped in the sight of last month Group chat controversy “Signalgate”who saw confidential military information about the United States attack plans against Huti terrorists based in Yemen inexplicably delivered to the Atlantic Chief Editor, Jeffrey Goldberg. The content of the filtering chat revealed a Trump administration that divides internally into foreign policy issues, particularly as regards Iran and its regional representatives, such as the hutis. The pigeons of Iran and the anti-Israel provocaters took the opportunity tendentantly the opportunity to try to boost a convenient “auxiliary” scalp, either Hegseth or the national security advisor Michael Waltz. But both Hegseth and Waltz maintained their work.
From Signalgate, there have been two additional developments related to Hegseth. Last Sunday, The New York Times reported That Hegesh had shared confidential information about Houthi attack plans in a second group chat that included his wife and brother, among others. Hegesh admitted to the existence of this second chat, but said no damage was done. Almost at the same timeThree officials of the high -ranking department of defense: the deputy director of Cabinet Darin Selnick, friend of Hegseth for a long time and confidant Dan Caldwell and the chief of cabinet of the Secretary of Deputy Defense, Colin Carroll, were first placed licensed, and then fired, Amid an ongoing pentagon escape investigation in progress.
Caldwell's cashier is remarkable due to his relationship with Hegseth. The dismissal suggests that Hegseth is committed to not leaving stone without moving and is willing to be burned to Earth in the allies of the hour beyond, if necessary, to recover the operational control of his pentagon added by leaks. But the reaction to the shooting, and the immediate behavior of Caldwell later, is very revealing. What reveals the sequelae of the Pentagon of Firings, in summary, is the same as the original filter signal chat of last month: a Trump administration deeply divided into foreign policy issues, especially related to Iran.
Caldwell, who has worked for several isolationist attire, is a dove of Iran. In the early days of the Biden administration, Caldwell was even as far as Alabert Robert Malley – The Executable Biden election for special envoy to Iran, and previously the main US negotiator of Iran's nuclear agreement of President Obama. Shortly after being fired from the Pentagon, Caldwell quickly left in the popular show of the best known Iran Dove de la Nación, Tucker Carlson, a man who simply referred to Iran Hawks as “enemies” of the United States, to tell its history side. Caldwell's narrative was pure victim: he argued that his pentagon's mandate threatened “established interests” and ruled out accusations of escape. Since his former hegesh ally he fired him and now he is recommending that it be processedCaldwell's story does not pass the laughter.
But the whole saga is illuminating.
One must ask why many alleged allies of President Trump would decide to capitalize on the New York Times reports and try to throw Hegseth under the bus at a vulnerable moment. Shouldn't the “allies” have followed the example of vice president JD Vance and Trump and defended Hegseth to the handle? Curt Mills of The American Conservative Said the quiet part aloud: “Reality is operational: Hegseth is not up to this.”
In other words, Hegseth's spots campaign continues, but now acquires a different tone: the goal this time is all Iran Hawks.
The backdrop of all this high drama, which adds another turn to this elaborate puzzle, are the nuclear negotiations of Iran ongoing the administration, which are directed by the special envoy of Middle East Steve Witkoff. These negotiations will resume this weekend in Oman. Witkoff is a billionaire real estate investor without particular knowledge of the Middle East. In 2023, Witkoff sold his hotel Park Lane in New York City to Qatar's investment authority for $ 623 million, and perhaps not coinciding, in January 2025 he went to television to praise Qatar for “Doing God's work. “In Carlson's interview, Caldwell referred to Witkoff as a” gift from heaven “, and Carlson acclaimed him as an” peace instrument. “Carlson, in particular, recently organized the Qatar Prime Minister And he praised him for trying to stop military action against the ally and the Qatar partner, Iran.
One begins to see what is really happening here.
The good news is that Trump himself has clear eyes in matters related to Iran. So, apparently, it is your secretary of defense. Therefore, it must be concluded that Hegseth's detractors express the frustration that the president is not as curious as they are. That would explain why certain “allies” of the administration are supposedly trying to destroy Pete Hegseth once again.
Josh Hammer's last book is “Israel and civilization: the fate of the Jewish nation and the destiny of the West. ” This article was produced in collaboration with the creators Syndicate. @Josh_hammer
