Pete Hegseth

Pete Hegseth compares media to Pharisees, ancient Jewish sect derided by Christians

Hegseth's comments follow a similar incident in 2019, when then-Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg compared Mike Pence to the Pharisees.

|ByPHILISSA CRAMER/JTA
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 16, 2026.
Reporters raise their hands to ask questions during a briefing on the Iran war with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine (not pictured), at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, US, April 16, 2026.

US ready to restart Iran war if no deal reached, Hegseth warns

Hegseth stated that he had a message for the Iranian leadership: "We are watching you. Your capabilities are not the same as ours. Remember, this is not a fair fight."

|ByGOLDIE KATZ, REUTERS
AN IRANIAN flag flutters in the breeze

As Trump claims victory, Iran emerges bruised but powerful with leverage over Hormuz - analysis

"This war will be remembered as Trump's grave strategic miscalculation. One whose consequences reshaped the region in unintended ways," Middle East scholar Fawaz Gerges told Reuters.

|ByREUTERS
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth talks about the war in Iran as President Donald Trump hosts the swearing-in ceremony for US Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin (R) in the Oval Office at the White House on March 2.

The 'final blow' doctrine: How Trump is rewriting the rules of American power - analysis

How Hegseth, Rubio, and Waltz used the Iran conflict to rewrite America’s rules of war – and why Israel sits at the center of the new model

|BySAGIV STEINBERG

Pentagon's 2026 defense strategy names Israel a ‘model ally,’ shifts to ‘peace through strength’

The 34-page document, signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, constitutes a strategic message to Israel, solidifying its position as the United States' most senior partner in the Middle East.

JANUARY 24, 2026ByELI LEON
This picture taken 26 December 2011 shows the Pentagon building in Washington, DC.

Rubio says US plan for Venezuela is stability, recovery, then transition

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US plans to stabilize Venezuela, secure access for US oil companies, and oversee a political transition, drawing sharp Democratic criticism.

JANUARY 7, 2026ByREUTERS
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (L) speak following a closed door Senate meeting on the US capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, and his wife Cilia Flores, January 7, 2026.

Trump's internal shifts in the US: How peace through strength restored global stability - opinion

Peace through strength is not outdated doctrine. It is the only doctrine that has ever stabilized a dangerous world.

JANUARY 6, 2026ByDUVI HONIG
US President Donald Trump with US officials in the war room as the US conducts an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, 2026.

Donald Trump’s contempt for logic could end in devastation for the United States - opinion

When the US president dismisses logic, the danger extends beyond politics to disaster for the world.

DECEMBER 22, 2025ByLOUIS RENÉ BERES
US President Donald Trump is seen at a meeting in the White House earlier this month. The president wants to be visibly anti-intellectual, the writer says.

US, Jordanian forces conduct joint strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria, Hegseth confirms

The attacks come after US President Donald Trump vowed to retaliate after an attack on US personnel last weekend in Syria by a suspected Islamic State terrorist.

DECEMBER 20, 2025ByGOLDIE KATZ
US soldiers attached to the Iowa National Guard sign GBU-31 munitions systems in the US Central Command area of responsibility December 18, 2025 as the US military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on US personnel.

Israel needs to change its US strategy with Trump, Hegseth in charge - opinion

Unlike previous administrations, Donald Trump is willing – even eager – to reduce Israel’s dependence on the United States.

DECEMBER 17, 2025ByZAKI SHALOM
US DEFENSE SECRETARY Pete Hegseth speaks during the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, in December 2025.

Wiles says Trump has 'an alcoholic’s personality', claims Musk is microdosing, Vance conspiracist

Susie Wiles, Trump's campaign manager-turned chief of staff, made some less-than-flattering remarks about the president, JD Vance, and Pete Hegseth in a candid interview with 'Vanity Fair.'

DECEMBER 16, 2025ByJACOB LAZNIK
U.S. President Donald Trump is reflected on the glasses of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles as he speaks to the media, before he departs en route to Norfolk, Virginia, October 5, 2025.

Silicon Valley-backed defense firms face growing pains after hot streak

Defense-tech companies face a bigger challenge: moving beyond research and prototype contracts to producing weapons at scale

DECEMBER 9, 2025ByREUTERS
The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, DC, US, March 3, 2022.

Hegseth says he would have ordered second strike on Caribbean vessel

"I fully support that strike," Hegseth said at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. "I would have made the same call myself."

DECEMBER 7, 2025ByREUTERS
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, US, December 6, 2025.

Did the US military commit a war crime in boat attack off Venezuela? - explainer

Members of Congress said they would investigate whether or not the US military broke the law during its strikes on a suspected drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean.

DECEMBER 5, 2025ByREUTERS
US President Donald Trump attends a cabinet meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, DC, US, December 2, 2025.