Overview

• President Trump erroneously referred to Pete Hegseth as “Secretary of War” on Truth Social and praised a non-existent Fox News interview.
• Fox News repeatedly aired a pre-recorded Pentagon video of Hegseth announcing a rapid drone procurement strategy with a Metallica soundtrack, prompting the misunderstanding.
• Fact-checks confirmed that the title “Secretary of War” was abolished in 1947 and that Hegseth did not appear live on Fox News.
• Social media critics cited the gaffe as evidence of White House communication breakdowns and raised questions about Trump’s cognitive reliability.
• Meanwhile, Hegseth presses on with an accelerated drone modernization plan as part of the Pentagon’s new procurement initiative.