The Briefing with Jen Psaki Hegseth's problems snowball despite domesticated Pentagon press corps
39 snips
Dec 4, 2025 John Finer, former Deputy National Security Advisor and co-host of The Long Game podcast, shares insights on the complex interplay between civil-military relations and legality surrounding military strikes. He discusses the implications of Secretary Pete Hegseth's controversial past statements and the emerging media landscape that has affected Pentagon transparency. Finer highlights the tensions in operational norms and the grave national security implications posed by using insecure communication platforms like Signal.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Hegseth At Center Of Multiple Scandals
- Jen Psaki highlights that Pete Hegseth sits at the center of multiple overlapping scandals raising legal and ethical questions.
- A newly formed pro-Hegseth Pentagon press corps replaced traditional journalists, limiting tough oversight.
Pentagon Press Corps Echoes Administration
- The newly admitted Pentagon press corps contains far-right activists who echo administration talking points instead of challenging officials.
- Independent outlets outside the Pentagon continued to obtain and publish substantive IG findings despite being excluded.
Alleged Double Strike Raises War Crime Questions
- Reporting alleges Hegseth verbally directed a strike order to "kill everybody" and a second strike hit survivors.
- Legal experts say that targeting shipwrecked survivors meets the textbook definition of a war crime.