Pete Hegseth has become emboldened to do as he pleases within the Pentagon as his willingness to do President Donald Trump’s bidding has apparently shielded him from pushback, insiders say.
The defense secretary, 45, is confident his job is safe after the firings of three other Cabinet officials, and is weaponizing his invincibility to consolidate power over the Defense Department, officials told The Washington Post.
The outlet, which spoke with 16 people with knowledge of Hegseth’s efforts, said that the former Fox & Friends Weekend host controls not just the department’s major weapons procurement programs, but also keeps a tight leash over each branch’s personnel, limiting top generals’ and admirals’ communication with the public.
“All the power has been taken away from the uniforms and 100 percent gone to the political appointees,” one unnamed official told the outlet.
The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately return the Daily Beast’s requests for comment. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Post that Trump “appreciates all Secretary Hegseth has done to restore a focus on readiness, lethality, and support for our warfighters.”
Despite initial predictions that Hegseth would be the first member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to get the boot, the defense secretary is still alive and kicking after Trump ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer during March and April.
Cabinet officials Pam Bondi, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Kristi Noem were all ousted by Trump within two months. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters
One source told the Post it seems like Hegseth now “thinks he’s untouchable” and safe from any blowback, especially after his decision to fly aboard Apache helicopters with MAGA musician Kid Rock in what was widely seen as a dig at Army leadership. An earlier bid to investigate pilots involved in a flyby at the rocker’s house was squashed at Hegseth’s request.
Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, is said to be among those “frustrated” with Hegseth’s moves. An unnamed official described the defense secretary creating “headaches” for the White House and suggested he was in some ways mirroring Trump himself.
“The president is always going to be the president. He’s always going to say and do things that cause chaos or controversy. That doesn’t mean it’s okay for everybody else to act that way,” they said.
But Hegseth’s eagerness to appease Trump has reportedly secured his position for now.
“As long as you don’t run the slowest, you’re safe — and Pete is not the slowest right now," one administration official told the Post, likening the president’s Cabinet to a grizzly bear chasing a group of hikers.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stood by attacking the media as Pharisees when confronted about it during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 30. Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images
Throughout his brief tenure as defense secretary, Hegseth has purged top personnel, including the Army’s chief of staff, Gen. Randy George, and Navy Secretary John Phelan.
The Post, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Phelan’s firing came as a result of him trying to warn lawmakers about Hegseth’s “land grab” within the military. The now-former secretary alleged that the former Fox News host had usurped the Navy’s authority over submarine and shipbuilding decisions.
Trump threw his longtime friend and donor under the bus at Hegseth's urging. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Quickly, word of Phelan’s insubordination reached Hegseth’s ears, which led to a plan with the president to get rid of Phelan. The billionaire political donor and friend of Trump was ousted on April 22.