Insiders Spill on ‘Untouchable’ Pentagon Pete’s Crazed Power Grab
The defense secretary apparently feels a little too safe in his job after a rocky first year.
Pete Hegseth is increasingly asserting his power within the Pentagon, seemingly shielded from any opposition by his willingness to obey President Donald Trump’s orders, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The 45-year-old Defense Secretary, confident in his position after the dismissal of three other cabinet members, is using his influence to consolidate his grip on the Defense Department, officials told The Washington Post.
The newspaper, which spoke with 16 people familiar with Hegseth’s actions, reports that the former host of “Fox & Friends Weekend” not only controls the department’s major weapons acquisition programs but also exercises tight control over personnel in every branch of government and restricts public appearances by senior generals and admirals.
“All the power has been taken away from the military and transferred entirely to people appointed for political reasons,” an anonymous official told the Post.
The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Beast. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told The Washington Post that Trump “appreciates everything that Secretary of Defense Hegseth has done to refocus efforts on combat readiness and effectiveness, and to support our troops.”
Despite initial expectations that Hegseth would be the first member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet to be fired, the defense secretary remained in his post after Trump dismissed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-Dermer in March and April.
A source told The Washington Post that Hegseth “now seems to think he’s above the law” and untouchable, especially after his decision to fly Apache helicopters with rock singer Kid Rock, a move widely seen as a snub to the military command. A previous attempt to investigate the pilots involved in the overflight of the singer’s home, at Hegseth’s request, was blocked.
Trump’s chief of staff, Suzy Wilms, is reportedly among those “outraged” by Hegseth’s actions. An anonymous official described the defense secretary as a real headache for the White House and suggested that he mirrored, in some ways, Trump’s own behavior.
“The president will always be the president,” the official said. “He will always say and do things that create chaos and controversy. That doesn’t mean others have to behave that way.”
But Hegseth’s eagerness to appease Trump seems to have secured his position, at least for now.
“As long as you’re not the slowest, you’re safe—and Pete isn’t the slowest right now,” an administration official told The Washington Post, comparing the presidential administration to a large bear chasing a group of hikers.
During his brief tenure as Secretary of Defense, Higseth fired several top officials, including Army Chief of Staff General Randy George and Navy Secretary John Phelan.
The Washington Post, citing well-informed sources, reported that Phelan’s dismissal stemmed from his attempts to alert lawmakers to Higseth’s growing control over military power. The former secretary claimed that the former Fox News host had usurped the Navy’s authority over decisions related to the construction of submarines and warships.
News of Phelan’s protest quickly reached Higseth, who then devised a plan with the president to remove Phelan. The billionaire, a political supporter and ally of Trump, was fired on April 22.
A source close to the matter told the newspaper: “His outburst took only three minutes to reach senior management. They said, ‘That’s enough! We can’t take this guy anymore!'”
