Pentagon Rebels Leak ‘Colonel Vodka’ Hegseth’s ‘Weird Conduct’
An insider says a “growing rear-guard rebellion” wants Pete Hegseth fired, but one big hurdle remains.
A longtime biographer of Donald Trump says insiders are leaking details on Pete Hegseth’s “weird conduct” because everyone besides the president wants him out.
Michael Wolff writes in his Substack newsletter, “HOWL,” that the leaks targeting Hegseth stem from his unpopularity within the Pentagon and the White House.
Wolff adds: “The daily leaks regarding his blunders, stupidity, misconduct, and bizarre behavior—including installing his wife at the Pentagon to act as his de facto number two—are now part of a growing rebellion aimed at ousting him.”
The biographer also claims that the campaign to oust Hegseth has reached the West Wing (the seat of the President’s office).
Wolff writes: “At the White House, the President’s inner circle of advisors believes Hegseth must be fired; they even consider that the ideal time to do so was ‘yesterday’ [i.e., as soon as possible]. Everyone is worried, if not in a state of outright panic; he has no support left, anywhere.”
However, Wolff notes a crucial exception: “Except for Donald Trump.”
Joel Valdez, a Pentagon deputy press secretary, told The Daily Beast: “Michael Wolff is a notorious liar who invents stories to please the ‘resistance camp’ [anti-Trump] and appeal to low-IQ leftists, like those who write for The Daily Beast.” It is worth noting that Valdez (27) spent only one year in college and has never worked outside the Republican political sphere. He served as deputy press secretary—a role in which he called for sanctions against journalists for publishing truthful information—after working for hardline Republican representatives aligned with the “MAGA” movement, Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert.
Wolff highlighted that the derogatory nicknames given to Hegseth reflect his incompetence; notably, he revealed that Roger Ailes, Hegseth’s former boss at Fox News, nicknamed him “Colonel Vodka” due to his frequent references to his National Guard service and his reputation as a heavy drinker.
The Daily Beast reported exclusively last week that Hegseth’s current nickname at the Pentagon is “No Tab Pete,” because his military uniform lacked the tabs—such as “Ranger” or “Sapper” (combat engineer)—that signify specific combat qualifications.
It is worth noting that Hegseth (46) has faced the fallout from numerous scandals during his eighteen-month tenure at the Pentagon. Following a narrow Senate confirmation—which required Vice President J.D. Vance to break a 50-50 tie—his term has been marked by various episodes: a leaked conversation via the Signal app, extreme religious views, a crusade against “woke culture,” and now, a war with Iran whose outcome appears uncertain.
Within the Pentagon, there are concerns that Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, plays an excessive role in his decision-making process. Last month, more than twenty current and former Defense Department officials told The New York Times that Jennifer played a key role in her husband’s decisions, reportedly even conducting one-on-one interviews with candidates for positions within the department.
Wolff maintains that it was precisely Hegseth’s lack of independent thinking that earned him the job; Trump sought to avoid any conflict with the Pentagon during his second term—a situation he had faced during his first term (the “MAGA 1.0” era) after appointing James Mattis, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, to lead the military establishment.
Regarding Hegseth, Wolff stated: “He holds his current position not because of his experience, skills, or past successes, but precisely because of their absence.”
Trump eventually grew to resent Mattis for daring to assert his expertise before major decisions were made.
“So, for his second presidency, Trump appointed ‘Colonel Vodka’ to head the Defense Department,” Wolff wrote.
Hegseth was one of countless Fox News hosts who pitched themselves for a job in the first Trump administration. Then a co-host on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” Trump ultimately passed on him at the time. His alleged brown-nosing, however, did not go unnoticed, according to Wolff.
“Hegseth was regarded by Trump aides as among the most shameless, abject, and pitiable” of the Fox hosts who auditioned themselves to Trump, Wolff said. “Indeed, Hegseth made a desperate pitch to join the administration as Veterans Affairs Secretary, or undersecretary—even Trump thought that was a stretch.”
