Today, Explained Hegseth’s hectic military
93 snips
Oct 2, 2025 
Dan Lamothe, a Pentagon reporter for The Washington Post, and Carrie Howley, a feature writer for New York Magazine, dive deep into the tumultuous world of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. They discuss Hegseth's controversial surprise lecture on 'warrior ethos' that sparked chaos at Quantico. The conversation reveals insights into Hegseth's management style, his focus on hardline standards, and the implications for service members. They also explore the fallout from 'Signalgate' and how loyalty to Trump shapes Hegseth's decisions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Return To A 'Back-To-Basics' Military
- Pete Hegseth and President Trump both framed the military as needing a return to a tougher, less 'woke' era.
- That message stresses rolling back recent inclusion policies and refocusing on traditional combat readiness.
Talk Of Domestic Deployments Alarms Military
- President Trump publicly suggested using the military in U.S. cities to fight what he called domestic threats.
- Military sources described this as familiar rhetoric that nonetheless alarms personnel uneasy with domestic deployments.
1990 Standards Used As Rallying Cry
- Hegseth repeatedly invoked a 1990 standard and criticized changes as 'softening' or politically driven.
- Dan Lamothe noted this rhetoric targets transgender inclusion, DEI, and expanded roles for women in combat.