Top Military Brass Clash With Hegseth in New Pentagon Battle

According to a report, senior military officials have criticized Pete Hegseth’s plan to overhaul the nation’s defense strategy.

Several Pentagon leaders, including General Dan Keane, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have expressed concerns about the proposals put forward by the so-called “Secretary of War.” These plans could be confirmed at an unprecedented meeting held Tuesday in Virginia, where Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor, brought together hundreds of generals and admirals, according to a report in the Washington Post.

The problem stems from Hegseth’s plan to rewrite the National Defense Strategy (NDS) to place homeland defense at the forefront of national priorities—rather than continuing to focus on global security threats emanating from China, as has been the case for years—and to reduce the US military presence in Europe and Africa.

Sources familiar with the redesign of the NDS, which outlines U.S. military planning and strategy, told the Washington Post that the military was increasingly concerned that Hegseth’s proposals were shortsighted and “irrelevant” given Donald Trump’s erratic and sometimes contradictory approach to foreign policy.

According to anonymous sources, Kaine publicly opposed these plans along with other Pentagon leaders, including senior policy official Elbridge Colby.

“He gave Hegseth very frank feedback,” a source told the Washington Post. “I don’t know if Hegseth understands the scope of the National Defense Strategy, which is why I think Kaine went so far.”

Kaine reportedly wanted the National Defense Strategy to focus on deterring China and, potentially, defeating it in the event of a conflict. According to the Washington Post, Hegseth’s draft strategy still mentions China, but primarily in the context of its aggression against Taiwan. Colby has long worried that the United States is ill-prepared in the event of a Chinese attack.

“There’s a concern that it’s just not well thought out,” a former official told the Washington Post about Hegseth’s China strategy.

Hegseth also suggested the Pentagon would withdraw US forces from Europe, a move that could frustrate allies given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s incursions into NATO airspace.

The fallout from the National Defense Strategy and the chaos surrounding the Virginia meeting are the latest headache for Hegseth since his tenure as Defense Secretary.

It has been revealed that the former Fox News anchor is crumbling under pressure from Defense Department leadership, and internal sources are now complaining about his behavior. These include his “obsession” with his personal security and his uncomfortable, agitated appearance during meetings.

“He has a crazy side. Or, to rephrase, an even crazier side, and that’s very telling,” a source told the Daily Mail. Another insider added: “He’s suffering from burnout.”

“Secretary Hegseth has been tasked with developing a national defense strategy focused on implementing President Trump’s common-sense agenda: ‘America First, Peace Through Strength,'” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told the Washington Post. “That process is ongoing.”

The National Defense Strategy plans are expected to be discussed at an unusual meeting convened Tuesday by Hegseth, which he has invited senior officers from US bases around the world to attend in person.

Hegseth will use the meeting—dubbed an “email blitz”—to discuss the “warrior spirit” he wants to instill at the Pentagon.

Democratic Senators Tammy Duckworth (Illinois) and Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) wrote to Hegseth on Saturday asking why a “safe virtual alternative” had not been considered instead of asking hundreds of officers to leave their posts and appear in person.

Both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee also expressed concerns about the potential security risks of an “unprecedented concentration of senior military officials in one location,” simply by hearing Hegseth talk about standards and ethics.