Performance art and military priorities

Pete Hegseth didn't just lay out priorities. He made a threat.

Pete Hegseth is proof that intelligence doesn’t make you smart. The guy went to Harvard, but he still gets up in front of generals and admirals to make a fool of himself. The tell is that he thinks he sounds smart. And he thought the generals would approve.

Hegseth sounds more like an immature braggart and bully than a secretary of defense. I can’t help but get a sense that this whole administration is just cosplaying. Hegseth sees himself as some kind of alpha male, a term the dweebs who make up MAGA like to throw around.

(On a side note, a guy on twitter replied to my recent post about access to guns with “…says the beta male.” After a few exchanges with him where he kept referring to me as a “beta” and praising alphas, I wrote “You’re single, aren’t you?” He refused to answer and kept calling me a beta. These people are incels and losers. They’re full of insecurities and resentments and compensate by trying to be tough guys. They’re really pretty pathetic.)

Back to the generals. I doubt many in the room approved of Hegseth’s performative monologue. He looked more like the Fox News guy he once was than a serious secretary of defense. Instead of starting a conversation about how to reform the military, I suspect it started more private conversations about the potential conflict between their sworn oath to the Constitution and the country’s foundation of civilian control of the military.

Donald Trump followed Hegseth by advising the military leaders that he was prepared to use their strength on American citizens, calling us the “enemy within.” I caught heat from conservatives for calling Trump and company fascists last week, but I’m not sure what else to call a president who is threatening to use the military to suppress Americans who oppose him. I imagine a lot of generals had doubts about Trump’s line of reasoning.

The contrast between Hegseth and his audience was stark. He was animated, full of bluster and bravado, using tough language and demeaning insults. The brass sat stone faced, giving not a hint of support or approval. One whoop went out, but that was the exception. Hegseth clearly expected to be received differently.

While the active duty generals kept their opinions to themselves, retired ones did not. Hegseth and Trump were roundly criticized by former leaders across the board. Former Defense Secretary and retired Marine Corps General James Mattis said he was “angry and appalled.” Former General Mark Hertling called it “offensive.” Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré called Hegseth’s speech “rambling.” I suspect most of the military leaders feel the same way as their retired comrades.

We’re in dangerous times when the President of the United States and the Secretary of War seem to be more focused on internal strife than foreign defense. Hegseth’s “warrior culture” is more culture warrior than military might. He’s fighting imaginary woke enemies while real enemies like Russia and China are laughing at him. Still, Hegseth and Trump seem totally willing to use lethal force against Americans. Hell, Hegseth seems anxious to send soldiers to police civilians.

It’s always hard to know how much is performance and how much is real. What we know, though, is that the President of the United States enjoys threatening Americans instead of leading them. The Secretary of Defense sees equality as more of a threat than our foreign adversaries. I fear the real message of that meeting was a threat. Hegseth and Trump told the generals and admirals to either get on board or prepare to get purged.