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Prickly Pete Hegseth's short fuse laid bare as insiders reveal war on words
The Daily Mail ^ | 1 January 2026 | KATELYN CARALLE

Posted on 01/01/2026 4:38:54 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

Pete Hegseth appeared to have a quickly lost patience for the Ukrainian plight in its fight against Russia as he took over leadership at the Pentagon last year.

The Secretary of Defense – later renamed War Secretary – seemed to have a disdain for any pro-Ukraine generals left over from President Joe Biden's term, according to a New York Times report.

Specifically, sources detail tension between General Christopher Cavoli, who is now retired but was commander of United States European Command from 2022 until his retirement from the Army in July 2025.

One official said it remains unclear whether Hegseth didn't like Ukraine or didn't like Cavoli.

Hegseth also told Cavoli to stunt his once-daily briefs to weekly and on two occasions demanded he shorten them to 'four or five sentences long.'

Previously, Cavoli delivered Biden's Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin lengthy and detailed battle reports on every day besides Sunday. The general also had him on speed dial as the two discussed the conflict on a regular basis.

The Department of War did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for why the secretary wanted less and more snappy briefings or why Hegseth was 'annoyed' with Cavoli.

Once sworn-in on January 25, 2025 following a narrow Senate confirmation, Hegseth jetted off to Europe the second week of February amid President Donald Trump's promise to end the Russia-Ukraine war in his first days back in office.

But right away things weren't as peachy between Cavoli and Hegseth as they were with his predecessor.

The former Fox News host had a clear 'hatred' for Cavoli, but his aides couldn't figure out why, according to the Times.

At their first and only meeting in Stuttgart, Germany on February 11, 2025, Cavoli told Hegseth the US needed to maintain support for Ukraine.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: 123oclock4oclockzot; multiplenicks; randspam; trollfarm
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1 posted on 01/01/2026 4:38:54 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Sounds all great to me!


2 posted on 01/01/2026 4:41:28 PM PST by Zathras
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To: MinorityRepublican

the DM musta missed the screaming that hillary and biden and kalamama did constantly


3 posted on 01/01/2026 4:46:52 PM PST by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Hmmm, Reading the Daily Mail?
Like drinking from a toilet in Tijuana, Mexico...


4 posted on 01/01/2026 4:51:05 PM PST by SuperLuminal (Where is rabble-rising Sam Adams now that we need him? Is his name Trump, now?)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Are these middle school girls?


5 posted on 01/01/2026 5:27:51 PM PST by Bigg Red ( Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

I’m sure that he is not the only one who detests the seditious and traitorous Obama generals.


6 posted on 01/01/2026 5:30:21 PM PST by RetiredTexasVet (Trump has arrived and it is awesome to have a real President.)
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To: RetiredTexasVet

“ I’m sure that he is not the only one who detests the seditious and traitorous Obama generals.”
Obama and Biden replaced all of the war fighters with DEI hires, it’s going to take time to root them out and get rid of them.


7 posted on 01/01/2026 5:35:25 PM PST by wjcsux (On 3/14/1883 Karl Marx gave humanity his best gift, he died. )
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To: SuperLuminal
Certain quarters of the British establishment still seem to think we give a crap what they say to us.

Another larger segment of Britons are pleading for us to save them. And thousands more are fleeing from Britain every year to any where they can.

The fortunate who can afford to come here and find, in their own words, a ‘’paradise’’,

They openly admit that they've been bought up to believe that America is a horrible place. A place of violence, guns, racism and no ‘’free health care’’.

And when they arrive here they're stunned by America's natural beauty, our material wealth, our freedoms and the over all kindness, generosity and over all welcoming nature of We The People and they admit they were lied to and some even apologize. Britain has fallen. It's collapsed. And now there's what you might say a "Third British Invasion'' going on. You Tube is loaded with videos of Brits who come here to live. They almost all want to live in Florida and Texas. It's something to see.

8 posted on 01/01/2026 5:50:52 PM PST by jmacusa ( Liberals. Too stupid to be idiots.)
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To: jmacusa

That’s very nice. What article was that meant for?


9 posted on 01/01/2026 6:47:13 PM PST by MikelTackNailer (I don't usually warmonger but when I do it's about killing terrorists.)
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To: jmacusa
They openly admit that they've been bought up to believe that America is a horrible place. A place of violence, guns, racism and no ‘’free health care’’.


10 posted on 01/01/2026 6:50:49 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Stopped reading at “according to a New York Times report.“ So the New York Times probably made something up and everybody else quotes them, adding to the story without being able to be sued. What a waste of time.


11 posted on 01/01/2026 6:53:36 PM PST by Freee-dame (The left never dreamed that Trump would be back in the White House in 2025. )
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To: MinorityRepublican

Generals thinking they set national policy need to be pimp slapped. So Secdef got tired of his BS and knocked him down. That’s our system.

And Generals fluffing these damned foreigners are why they are so arrogant. Like the Ukes, the Israelis and others... they openly make demands of us as though they were the senior partners.

Needs to stop.


12 posted on 01/01/2026 7:06:10 PM PST by DesertRhino (When men on the chessboard, get up and tell you where to go…)
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To: DesertRhino
And Generals fluffing these damned foreigners are why they are so arrogant. Like the Ukes, the Israelis and others... they openly make demands of us as though they were the senior partners.

They got away with it. Until now.

13 posted on 01/01/2026 7:18:57 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: SuperLuminal

Safer than the tap down there


14 posted on 01/01/2026 7:20:20 PM PST by Fledermaus ("It turns out all we really needed was a new President!")
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To: MinorityRepublican

“Previously, Cavoli delivered Biden’s Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin lengthy and detailed battle reports on every day besides Sunday. The general also had him on speed dial as the two discussed the conflict on a regular basis.”

Because you know... the Ukrainians run everything, make all the decisions, do the targeting, etc. We aren’t involved.


15 posted on 01/01/2026 7:22:29 PM PST by DesertRhino (When men on the chessboard, get up and tell you where to go…)
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To: MinorityRepublican

“Prickly?” “Short fuse?”

Bunch of limey bullshit!


16 posted on 01/01/2026 8:06:30 PM PST by july4thfreedomfoundation (Charlie Kirk's assassination / murder was our Fort Sumter moment. But only one side is fighting.)
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To: SuperLuminal
Hmmm, Reading the Daily Mail? Like drinking from a unflushed toilet in Tijuana, Mexico...

Your apt comment ever so slightly edited for emphasis! :-)
17 posted on 01/01/2026 8:21:40 PM PST by Nervous Tick (Hope, as a righteous product of properly aligned Faith, IS in fact a strategy.)
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To: MinorityRepublican
The former Fox News host had a clear 'hatred' for Cavoli, but his aides couldn't figure out why, according to the Times.

I can't stand anyone who spends hours in daily meetings talking. Nothing gets done in meetings. STFU.

18 posted on 01/01/2026 8:26:12 PM PST by Mr.Unique (My boss wants me to sign up for a 401K. No way I'm running that far! )
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To: MinorityRepublican

“Previously, Cavoli delivered Biden’s Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin lengthy and detailed battle reports on every day besides Sunday.”

I call a big fat BS on that. Gimme a break.


19 posted on 01/01/2026 8:30:05 PM PST by MayflowerMadam ( "Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away". - B. Franklin)
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To: Nervous Tick

😎


20 posted on 01/01/2026 10:46:49 PM PST by SuperLuminal (Where is rabble-rising Sam Adams now that we need him? Is his name Trump, now?)
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