Overview
- A Washington Times report cited multiple current and former senior officers who said Pete Hegseth has lost their support and criticized his public approach as grandstanding.
- The short-notice Quantico gathering of more than 800 generals and admirals drew sharp pushback, with a current Army general calling it a massive waste of time and saying, “he lost us.”
- Critics argued Hegseth prioritized appearance and fitness rules over strategic and operational issues, describing the agenda as the mentality of a midgrade officer.
- Officers told the outlet the services are seeing resignations and early retirements and claimed more than a dozen senior firings since January, assertions attributed to their accounts.
- Hegseth has defended his agenda, saying that enforcing high standards is not toxic and promoting tougher fitness and grooming requirements.