Free Republic

Media across the ideological spectrum said they will not sign the Defense Department’s restrictive new press policy by Tuesday’s afternoon deadline. The Washington Post, the New York Times, the Associated Press and CNN said they wouldn’t sign, as did Newsmax and the Washington Times. Matt Murray, The Post’s executive editor, said the policy runs counter to the Constitution’s guarantee of freedom of the press. “The proposed restrictions undercut First Amendment protections by placing unnecessary constraints on gathering and publishing information,” he said in a statement Monday. “We will continue to vigorously and fairly report on the policies and positions of...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s assertion Tuesday that newly proposed military fitness standards may exclude women from certain combat roles has reignited fears about his approach to women in the armed forces. In a highly unusual address to hundreds of the military’s top leaders in Quantico, Va., Hegseth declared new directives to ensure every combat position “returns to the highest male standard” of their service’s physical fitness test. “If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it,” he said, though he stressed that the military will continue to welcome women into its ranks. “I don’t want my...

On Tuesday evening, the Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV spoke out against anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States, as well as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s bellicose rhetoric. At an unusual gathering of military leaders earlier that day, Hegseth had told the top brass to be “prepared for war, not for defense,” while espousing the use of “overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy” and promising to “untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country.” Speaking to reporters in Italian, Leo called Hegseth’s rhetoric “worrying,” per the Catholic News Agency, “because it shows...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said that Medals of Honor for soldiers who took part in an 1890 massacre of Native Americans would not be revoked. More than 300 Lakota Sioux men, women and children were killed by U.S. Army soldiers on Dec. 29, 1890, in one of the deadliest attacks on Native Americans by the United States military. The Lakota people had gathered to resist government control in an area of South Dakota that is now part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation..... In 2019, Democratic lawmakers, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, introduced legislation to revoke...

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered a meeting with top military leaders from around the world to gather on short notice. The meeting is slated to take place at Quantico in Virginia next Tuesday, per the Washington Post. A meeting of the officials was confirmed by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, who said Hegseth "will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week," but did not address additional details, the outlet reported. Military members from around the world have been ordered to attend the meeting, the outlet reported. The order also comes as Hegseth has been looking to overhaul...

Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War.

Another day, another leak. CNN and The Washington Post on Wednesday reported that sources say the Pentagon Inspector General has ‘evidence’ that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Signal chat included classified information from Central Command. The Pentagon Inspector General expanded his investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the double-encrypted app Signal in May. Steven Stebbins took over as Acting Inspector General after President Trump fired the previous IG and 17 other inspectors general. Stebbins was first appointed to his position in 2015. Pete Hegseth has been under heavy attack since before his confirmation hearing and the leaks keep coming....

Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom is attacking Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over his statement that U.S. Marines are on “high alert” if needed to help National Guard troops with the out of control illegal immigration riots in Los Angeles, calling it “deranged behavior.” Governor Newsom’s press office also attacked Hegseth, responding to a post by Hegseth criticizing Newsom over the riots with a Reuters photo from Saturday that showed protesters in an intersection waving a Mexican flag in front of a burning automobile. Hegseth commented, “Another “mostly peaceful protest” brought to you by @GavinNewsom DEPORT.” Newsom’s press office replied,...

I couldn't figure out why he was being singled out the way he is. Now it makes sense. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gkWI6ArLswI

Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson This is the most powerful 17 second speech ever given by a Secretary of Defense. This is why do they want to destroy @PeteHegseth so badly. This is it… From Concerned Citizen 8:23 PM · May 6, 2025

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) claimed Tuesday on CNN’s “The Lead” that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s dangerous conduct was becoming close to impeachable. Speaking to CNN congressional reporter Manu Raju, Blumenthal said, “Hegseth is a danger to our national security. Our military is supposed to be nonpolitical, and what Hegseth is doing is not only defiling the principle but diminishing our national defense. And I think at some point, this kind of conduct is impeachable.” Host Jake Tapper said, “That is Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut today. A reminder to Secretary Hegseth, you have an open invitation to come on...

President Donald Trump’s administration has declared war on those who declared war on American citizens. After all, among other things, the Trump administration values freedom, security, merit, and health. And those who declared war on American citizens did so in part by attacking all of those things. Friday morning on the social media platform X, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to an alarming new report about the incidence of obesity among National Guard and Reserve troops by calling the situation “completely unacceptable” and pledging a new military made up of “FIT, not FAT” service members. “This is what happens when...

This is the 5th top Pentagon official to leave in the last few days. WHAT IS GOING ON?

CARLISLE, Pennsylvania — Minutes after giving a policy-rich address to senior-level military students, faculty, and staff at the Army War College here in rural Cumberland County, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview with the Washington Examiner that he relished the occasion to detail the Pentagon’s focus going forward. ... “They knew that from the minute he chose me and through my entire confirmation process, from the minute I walked into the building to the first initiatives we took, that is DEI is dead at DOD,” he said of his February order to nuke all digital DEI content at...

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday referred two members of the intelligence community for prosecution by the Department of Justice. The allegation from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) was that the two intelligence professionals had leaked classified information. The move, said an official, should serve "as a warning." This comes as the Department of Defense has suffered leaks intended to harm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The White House has stood by Hegseth despite calls from leftist media for his termination. The New York Times ran an article claiming that Hegseth had sent information regarding...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House has advised every American to reply "STOP" if they no longer wish to receive texts about upcoming military strikes from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. "We all hate spam. No one is disputing that," said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during Wednesday's press briefing. "We understand the number of texts people are receiving about air strikes in Yemen has become a problem. So, the White House is making it easy to stop receiving these messages. Simply reply 'STOP' if you don't wish to see any more updates from Secretary Hegseth." Hegseth has been under fire in...

News over the weekend that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s wife Jennifer was included in a second group chat where he shared sensitive military operations details has focused attention on the prominent role she has occupied at the Pentagon without being formally employed during her husband’s short tenure running the US military.

What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out! They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. NOT going to work with me, because we're changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of war fighters and anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees on old news doesn't matter.

If you hear a Republican giving this oxygen, change the channel & make a note to never listen to that person again. They are either ignorant or deceived or too stupid to understand - or worse, they are not playing for the right team.

Laura Loomer @LauraLoomer Amid the Deep State’s efforts to fire @PeteHegseth as Defense Secretary, @GovRonDeSantis has pitched himself as a Replacement to be Defense Secretary. If this happens, he would likely make his wife his replacement as acting Governor of Florida ahead of the 2026 Florida Gubernatorial election so that she would have an incumbent privilege. There has been a lot of speculation about making @CaseyDeSantis Lieutenant Governor of Florida, but these discussions were happening at the same time @Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing was taking place, and Ron was lining up to be his replacement. The position of Lieutenant Governor...