‘Beneath the dignity’ of the office: Veteran Democrats torch Hegseth’s speech

Two Democratic House members who served in the military, Pat Ryan of New York and Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, sharply criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after his State of the Force address on Wednesday. Speaking with MS NOW's Michael Steele, Ryan said the speech was "beneath the dignity" of the office. In it, Hegseth denounced supposed "woke" influence inside the Pentagon and used a transgender slur.

Hegseth also touted the dismissals of senior officers, saying roughly 10% of generals and admirals had been fired and that he had ordered it. He added that general officer positions had been cut by another 10%, for a 20% total reduction, which he described as accountability rather than a purge.

Ryan, a former Army intelligence officer who served two tours in Iraq, said Hegseth has focused on culture-war theatrics instead of winning wars and is damaging an apolitical institution. He pointed to the unpopularity of the Iran war and to eight sailors who attempted suicide during a recent extended deployment. Deluzio, a former Navy officer and Iraq War veteran, said the removal of qualified flag officers has destabilized the military.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →