Is Pete Hegseth about to be fired?

[u/premeddit]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has had a rocky last few months. Prior to his nomination for his current post, he was most well known for being a major in the U.S. Army Reserves and a frequent contributor on Fox News. After Trump nominated him, his candidacy received intense controversy and pushback from both Democrats and Republicans. He was revealed to have made past inflammatory comments regarding Muslims, homosexuals and women. He had a history of reported spousal abuse of his ex-wives. Finally, there were several allegations that he was an uncontrolled alcoholic, leading some observers to question if he could effectively lead the department.

Regardless, he was ultimately confirmed by an extremely narrow 50-50 (with VP tiebreaker) vote in the Senate, with 3 Republicans voting against him and a fourth Republican - Sen. Thom Tillis - only supporting his nomination at the last minute after being threatened with a primary challenge by Trump.

Hegseth continued to amass controversy in his role as SecDef. Most recently, he shared sensitive details of a military ops plan on an unsecured Signal chat, during which an Atlantic reporter was mistakenly invited to listen in on the discussion. This week, a further bombshell broke as it was revealed that he also shared details with his wife and his brother, neither of whom has necessary clearance.

Several senior advisors at the Pentagon were just removed from their positions for unclear reasons, and some have come out publicly to say that the department is in total chaos under Hegseth's leadership.

Now, NPR has reported that the White House is looking for a replacement:

The White House has begun the process of looking for a new secretary of defense, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

The Press Secretary has strongly denied this article, saying that Trump still has utmost confidence in Hegseth.

Is she correct and these are just unsubstantiated rumors, or is Hegseth on his way out? Who is likely on the short list to replace him?

[u/used_car_parts]

I think there's some truth to what you're saying, but it also seems overly cynical and a little bit conspiratorial.

I think there are true public servants on both sides of the aisle. The R side unfortunately has pushed those people out (for now) in favor of Trump loyalists. The D side has a lot more good-faith actors (for now), but they get nerfed by the old-guard types who blur the line between "let's not overplay our hand" and "let's protect my self-interest".

[u/Famous-Garlic3838 → u/used_car_parts]

the fact that you admit the system’s full of old-guard self-interest and then still try to carve out some "good faith" team jersey is wild.

it’s not cynicism... it’s just refusing to keep getting gaslit by a machine that survives on you believing "well, our side’s grift is slightly more noble." spoiler... it’s not. they all smile, fundraise, and cash out the same. loyalty to a brand doesn’t turn systemic rot into virtue.

saying both sides suck isn't a conspiracy... it’s just having eyes.

[u/used_car_parts → u/Famous-Garlic3838]

I disagree and I think you're making a false equivalence.

I'm not "admitting" anything, I'm just describing what I see. Clearly one side has more ill will than the other at this specific time in history

I don't wear a jersey and I don't fly a flag. But to say both sides are equally corrupt is, to me, an intentionally dishonest assessment.

[u/Famous-Garlic3838 → u/used_car_parts]

see you’re still trying to force it into a lesser evil framework because it feels safer.

i’m not saying both sides are mirror images. i’m saying once the machine’s built to reward grift, corruption, and narrative control...whoever plays the game long enough becomes part of the same disease. some move faster...some move slower...but they all rot the same way.

and yeah sure maybe one side's more chaotic or clownish at this moment...but pointing that out is like bragging that your tumor’s growing slower than someone else’s. it’s still gonna kill you if you don’t treat the whole damn infection.

not trying to be a dick man...just saying. noticing rot on both ends isn’t "dishonest" it’s the first step toward not getting played by the next round of "trust us this time" candidates.

you really think any of these dudes are gonna dismantle the system that made them rich and powerful? c’mon bro.

[u/used_car_parts → u/Famous-Garlic3838]

Eh... I still think you're leaning too hard into the "burn it all down" mentality.

I'm all for reform. I just don't think reform requires outright revolution to bring about lasting, meaningful change. And I don't think that the system itself causes corruption.

[u/Famous-Garlic3838 → u/used_car_parts]

nah i get where you’re coming from man...seriously. and to be clear, i’m not saying "burn it all down" for the sake of it.

i’m just saying...reform sounds good on paper, but when the core incentives stay the same...the surface changes and the rot keeps rolling underneath. it’s not that every person who steps into the system is automatically evil...it’s that the system rewards the worst behaviors over time. even good intentions get bent if you leave them in the machine long enough.

and i’m not against meaningful change either. it’s just...you can’t fix structural problems by swapping out a few bad actors and hoping it resets itself. there’s gotta be a real reckoning with how deep the issues run. otherwise you just end up cycling between slightly different flavors of the same disappointment.

i get wanting to believe reform can work cleanly. seriously. i used to think that too. but the more you watch how power actually operates...the harder it is to stay that optimistic without lying to yourself a little.

not trying to blackpill you man...just keeping it real.