Trump Cabinet/Appointments

[BDKJMU]

‘He lost us’: Generals, senior officers say trust in Hegseth has evaporated

Numerous high-ranking officers painted Mr. Hegseth’s Sept. 30 speech to hundreds of generals and admirals gathered at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia as a turning point in how his leadership style, attitude and overall competency are viewed in the upper echelons of the U.S. armed forces.

“It was a massive waste of time. … If he ever had us, he lost us,” one current Army general told The Washington Times.
...
They argue that the firings, early retirements and resignations that have amassed over the past eight months will fundamentally weaken the military.

“Across the services, we are bleeding talent, talented generals and flag officers, for what appears to be the opposite of a meritocracy,” another current senior officer said. “There are people being held back from promotions, or being fired, or removed for sometimes unknown reasons, often for favoritism, or just simple relationships.”
...
The sources interviewed for this article were granted anonymity to speak freely because of their concern that they would be fired for providing their honest assessments. In a statement to The Times, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said they should consider stepping down.

trump's own version of DEI on full display.

Generals Are Whining That Hegseth Has 'Lost' Them, but the Facts Say They've Lost the Plot

…A story in the Washington Times uses mostly anonymous sources…

…So, to review the bidding. Recruiting is up. Commanders have more authority. Defense analysts think he's moving rapidly and in the correct direction on many critical elements. Standards are being enforced. But feelings are being hurt….

https://redstate.com/streiff/2025/10/22 ... t-n2195349

[UNI88]

‘He lost us’: Generals, senior officers say trust in Hegseth has evaporated



trump's own version of DEI on full display.

Generals Are Whining That Hegseth Has 'Lost' Them, but the Facts Say They've Lost the Plot

…A story in the Washington Times uses mostly anonymous sources…

…So, to review the bidding. Recruiting is up. Commanders have more authority. Defense analysts think he's moving rapidly and in the correct direction on many critical elements. Standards are being enforced. But feelings are being hurt….

https://redstate.com/streiff/2025/10/22 ... t-n2195349

redstate ...

Washington Times is a conservative news outlet. redstate is a partisan hack outlet.

[BDKJMU]

This guy….

The fat literally and figuratively need to be trimmed.

WWII: 2k generals/admirals for 12 million active duty. About 1 general/admiral for about every 6,000 troops.

Today: 800 generals/admirals for about 1.3 million active duty. 1 general/admiral for about every 1,400 troops.

Below author says 7 four star at height of WWII. More like 11 (9 Army, 2 Navy in 1945). Plus was eight 5 star (4 Army, 4 Navy). Some sources say 9, but Bradley wasn‘t promoted to 5 star till 1950. 12 million active duty. Bottom line is

WWII: One 4/5 star general/admiral for about every 600k active duty.
Today: One 4 star general/admiral for about every 32k active duty.

Sounds like need to trim about 3/4+ of 4 star generals/admirals. It should be no more than 2-3 per service (and the Marines and Space Force could be 1). 4 stars command now what in 20th century wars were commanded by 3 stars. Patton was only a 3 star general when he commanded the 3rd Army.

Can start with the ones that supported the unconstitutional Covid policies and promoted the all the woke trans DEI SJW BS of the Biden admin.

…At the height of WWII, America won a global war with only seven four-star generals commanding a force that numbered over 12 million. Today’s active-duty military force is a fraction of that size, numbering roughly 1.4 million. Yet it now employs 44 four-star officers[/b]. Each one of them attained promotion to the highest levels by either acquiescing to, or enthusiastically embracing, radical social doctrines that aim to destroy the nation from within. Fortunately, a few of these generals were quietly sidelined and retired in 2025. But many others, whose actions betray their oaths to the Constitution, remain in positions of immense power.

Lt. Gen. Chris Laneve exemplifies this troubling trend. Not only did he comply with the full range of illegal COVID edicts, but as a division commander he also signed a 2023 “pride” month letter that presented a distorted version of American history.

“From the founding fathers of our nation through the Global War on Terrorism LBGTQ+ [sic] service members have fought with pride to defend our rights and freedoms.”

The letter went on to parrot the prevalent themes from critical theory, calling on all members of the famed 82nd Airborne Division to advance the cause of social justice as a “strategic advantage.”

Laneve currently serves as the senior military assistant to the Secretary of War, and is now nominated to become the Army’s Vice Chief of Staff. Thus far, Laneve has not publicly disavowed or distanced himself from the revolutionary viewpoint he recently celebrated.

Similarly, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, a staunch advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, was nominated by President Trump to become the next Air Force Chief of Staff. Wilsbach consistently prioritized intersectional diversity as a key focus of his management style. Like Laneve, Wilsbach has not publicly repudiated his alignment with critical theory, leaving us no choice but to conclude that he remains committed to these divisive ideologies.

A small number of generals have been shown the door during the second Trump administration, but in subdued fashion. In 2010 Stan McChrystal was the last military general to be publicly relieved by a president. This was over things said about the Obama administration by members of McChrystal’s staff. Far worse has been said of Trump by many across the ranks in open office settings and on social media. It appears that their commanders are generally being left alone, as some generals take it upon themselves to trash their civilian superiors in press reports—the latest example showing up in The Washington Times.…

https://redstate.com/chase-spears/2025/ ... y-n2195439

[UNI88]

Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts

The company is run by the husband of Noem’s chief DHS spokesperson and has personal and business ties to Noem and her aides. DHS invoked the “emergency” at the border to skirt competitive bidding rules for the taxpayer-funded campaign.
...
The Department of Homeland Security has kept at least one beneficiary of the nine-figure ad deal a secret, records and interviews show: a Republican consulting firm with long-standing personal and business ties to Noem and her senior aides at DHS. The company running the Mount Rushmore shoot, called the Strategy Group, does not appear on public documents about the contract. The main recipient listed on the contracts is a mysterious Delaware company, which was created days before the deal was finalized.

No firm has closer ties to Noem’s political operation than the Strategy Group. It played a central role in her 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial campaign. Corey Lewandowski, her top adviser at DHS, has worked extensively with the firm. And the company’s CEO is married to Noem’s chief spokesperson at DHS, Tricia McLaughlin.

Only 10 months in and the trump regime might have already passed the Nixon administration has the most corrupt in modern times.

[UNI88]

[UNI88]

GOP co-chair of Scouting Caucus calls Hegseth proposal to cut ties ‘nearsighted’

In a draft memo to Congress first reported by NPR, Hegseth proposed cutting ties with Scouting America — formerly known as Boy Scouts of America — and said it has become an organization that attacks “boy-friendly spaces.”

Hegseth reportedly criticized the organization for being “genderless” and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion principles in the memo, which has not yet been sent to lawmakers.

“The organization once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt no longer supports the future of American boys,” Hegseth wrote.
...
The Congressional Scouting Caucus — which includes several GOP representatives and is co-chaired in the House by Thompson and Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) — supports Scouting America on Capitol Hill. Thompson and Bishop introduced a resolution earlier this year celebrating the organization’s 115th anniversary since its incorporation.

“Scouting helps young men and women build character and confidence, while attaining skills that will help them succeed in all aspects of life,” Thompson said in a press release announcing the resolution’s introduction. “I have been involved with Scouting for more than 50 years, including time spent as Scout, Eagle Scout, Scoutmaster, and Distinguished Eagle.”

He added that the organization had “a profound impact” on the lives of his sons and grandsons. “Lessons taken from Scouting have helped young people from all walks of life become leaders,” he said.

Whiskeyleaks is intimidated by strong females so he's unable to accept Boy Scouts of America becoming Scouting America.

[UNI88]

South Park ...



Set to the tune of Kenny Loggin's Danger Zone ...

Pete Hegseth is a fucking douche
Pete Hegseth is a fucking douche

Acting like a tough guy
Posting it around the world
Making lots of content
Like a little teenage girl

Pete Hegseth's a fucking douche
Pete Hegseth is a fucking douche

What you gonna do
Now everybody's laughing at you
Your kids are gonna hear this
And their friends will watch it too

Now we're singing
Pete Hegseth's a fucking douche
Pete Hegseth is a fucking douche

[UNI88]

Trump Admin Tells Passengers To ‘Dress With Respect’ at Airports



Secretary Doofus,

You are correct, we can bring civility back but a fish rots from the head down and civility starts at the top. Let's start with your boss and stop the "quiet piggy", calling reporters "third rate" and "ugly inside and out" and all the other crude, rude and crass things he so frequently says about others.

[UNI88]

Third unvaccinated Kentucky baby dies of whooping cough

A third unvaccinated infant in Kentucky has died of pertussis as public health officials urge Kentuckians to get vaccinated against the highly contagious disease also known as whooping cough.

Kentucky’s three infant deaths from whooping cough over the past 12 months are the state’s first reported since 2018. None of the infants or their mothers had been vaccinated against the respiratory disease, the Kentucky Department of Public Health confirmed.

Kentucky is in the midst of its largest pertussis spike since 2012, according to a Monday news release from the state that says the disease has increased nationwide as vaccination rates decline.

As of Nov. 19, there have been 566 cases of whooping cough identified in Kentucky, with health officials anticipating more cases as the year ends. Babies younger than 1 year old are at the greatest risk for whooping cough.

The best way to prevent whooping cough is by receiving the Tdap or DTaP vaccine, which protects against three bacterial infections — diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, say public health experts.

Thank you rfk jr and the worm that ate his brain.

[BDKJMU]

Trump Admin Tells Passengers To ‘Dress With Respect’ at Airports



Secretary Doofus,

You are correct, we can bring civility back but a fish rots from the head down and civility starts at the top. Let's start with your boss and stop the "quiet piggy", calling reporters "third rate" and "ugly inside and out" and all the other crude, rude and crass things he so frequently says about others.

Maybe if the reporters would stop with the ‘When did you stop beating your wife’ questions that they never asked of demented Joe, they wouldn’t be treated like they are.

[UNI88]

Trump Admin Tells Passengers To ‘Dress With Respect’ at Airports



Secretary Doofus,

You are correct, we can bring civility back but a fish rots from the head down and civility starts at the top. Let's start with your boss and stop the "quiet piggy", calling reporters "third rate" and "ugly inside and out" and all the other crude, rude and crass things he so frequently says about others.

Maybe if the reporters would stop with the ‘When did you stop beating your wife’ questions that they never asked of demented Joe, they wouldn’t be treated like they are.

The questions weren’t anything like that unless you’re thin skinned and have a fragile ego.

They did it first … It’s not my fault … How mature.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BDKJMU]

Maybe if the reporters would stop with the ‘When did you stop beating your wife’ questions that they never asked of demented Joe, they wouldn’t be treated like they are.

The questions weren’t anything like that unless you’re thin skinned and have a fragile ego.

They did it first … It’s not my fault … How mature.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, they were.

And they didn’t do it with Biden.

[UNI88]

The questions weren’t anything like that unless you’re thin skinned and have a fragile ego.

They did it first … It’s not my fault … How mature.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, they were.

And they didn’t do it with Biden.

I didn't realize being thin skinned and having a fragile ego were contagious.

biden was an absolutely horrendous President but he didn't act the way trump does or say and do the things does so naturally trump gets different questions. FAFO applies to more than just protesters. Too bad trump is too big of a pussy to handle the consequences of his own words and actions. On the bright side, no one will say anything if he grabs that camel toe under his chin.

[UNI88]

Was this a Freudian slip?

[UNI88]

Pentagon's Signalgate review finds Pete Hegseth violated military regulations

The Defense Department Inspector General concluded in a report filed Tuesday that the information Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared on a group Signal chat about a pending military operation in Yemen was considered classified, according to two people who have read the report.

The report outlines the findings of a more than eight-month investigation into Hegseth’s use of Signal, an encrypted but unclassified messaging app, to share details of the planned U.S. strikes in March before they had begun.

It found that the information Hegseth shared had been marked "secret" and could have imperiled American troops had it been intercepted by a foreign adversary, the two people who have read the report said. The evaluation by the Defense Department Inspector General also concluded that Hegseth violated military regulations by using his personal phone for official business, according to those people.

[kalm]

Pentagon's Signalgate review finds Pete Hegseth violated military regulations

The Defense Department Inspector General concluded in a report filed Tuesday that the information Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared on a group Signal chat about a pending military operation in Yemen was considered classified, according to two people who have read the report.

The report outlines the findings of a more than eight-month investigation into Hegseth’s use of Signal, an encrypted but unclassified messaging app, to share details of the planned U.S. strikes in March before they had begun.

It found that the information Hegseth shared had been marked "secret" and could have imperiled American troops had it been intercepted by a foreign adversary, the two people who have read the report said. The evaluation by the Defense Department Inspector General also concluded that Hegseth violated military regulations by using his personal phone for official business, according to those people.

In a just administration he’d be charged for this as well as murder over the strikes on alleged drug boats.

When you hire TV personalities to run the most powerful military in the world…

[GannonFan]

Pentagon's Signalgate review finds Pete Hegseth violated military regulations

In a just administration he’d be charged for this as well as murder over the strikes on alleged drug boats.

When you hire TV personalities to run the most powerful military in the world…

Would he though? Again, we went 8 years with the Obama administration drone-assassinating anyone they wanted to in the Middle East as part of some Star Chamber justice system. Sure, he had the blank check from Congress that legally covered the actions, but there's really no difference between these murder by fiat actions. I don't like Hegseth one bit and have always felt he shouldn't be in that role, but let's also not pretend that this particular issue is significantly different from ones from a more "just" administration.

[kalm]

In a just administration he’d be charged for this as well as murder over the strikes on alleged drug boats.

When you hire TV personalities to run the most powerful military in the world…

Would he though? Again, we went 8 years with the Obama administration drone-assassinating anyone they wanted to in the Middle East as part of some Star Chamber justice system. Sure, he had the blank check from Congress that legally covered the actions, but there's really no difference between these murder by fiat actions. I don't like Hegseth one bit and have always felt he shouldn't be in that role, but let's also not pretend that this particular issue is significantly different from ones from a more "just" administration.

You’re the only one justifying via “what about…”

I had a huge problem with Obama’s drone strikes including US citizen Anwar Al Awaki and his son.

The two issues are similar but also have glaring differences. Push to prosecute team Obama if you’d like. That won’t change the fact that Hegseth has committed murder. If we were at war, they’d be considered war crimes.

[GannonFan]

Would he though? Again, we went 8 years with the Obama administration drone-assassinating anyone they wanted to in the Middle East as part of some Star Chamber justice system. Sure, he had the blank check from Congress that legally covered the actions, but there's really no difference between these murder by fiat actions. I don't like Hegseth one bit and have always felt he shouldn't be in that role, but let's also not pretend that this particular issue is significantly different from ones from a more "just" administration.

You’re the only one justifying via “what about…”

I had a huge problem with Obama’s drone strikes including US citizen Anwar Al Awaki and his son.

The two issues are similar but also have glaring differences. Push to prosecute team Obama if you’d like. That won’t change the fact that Hegseth has committed murder. If we were at war, they’d be considered war crimes.

I'm not justifying anything, I'm pointing out the inconsistency. Pretty sure we never heard anyone here talk about murder charges for prior administrations. And what was the war crime? The only thing so far has been potentially the hitting of survivors, and that is dubious as well if we were in a war. If we were in a war, hitting these boats would just be part of the war. My point with all of this is the lack of transparency as to whether these boats are even carrying drugs in the first place, and at some point Trump and company need to get Congress to go along with this - there's only so long that the executive branch can go without Congressional sign off.

[kalm]

You’re the only one justifying via “what about…”

I had a huge problem with Obama’s drone strikes including US citizen Anwar Al Awaki and his son.

The two issues are similar but also have glaring differences. Push to prosecute team Obama if you’d like. That won’t change the fact that Hegseth has committed murder. If we were at war, they’d be considered war crimes.

I'm not justifying anything, I'm pointing out the inconsistency. Pretty sure we never heard anyone here talk about murder charges for prior administrations. And what was the war crime? The only thing so far has been potentially the hitting of survivors, and that is dubious as well if we were in a war. If we were in a war, hitting these boats would just be part of the war. My point with all of this is the lack of transparency as to whether these boats are even carrying drugs in the first place, and at some point Trump and company need to get Congress to go along with this - there's only so long that the executive branch can go without Congressional sign off.

You’re normalizing again. I get it. Philosophically as a centrist you always feel compelled to point out both sides do it. That could be true some of the time but to claim both sides….ergo, it’s all the same, is intellectually dishonest.

[GannonFan]

I'm not justifying anything, I'm pointing out the inconsistency. Pretty sure we never heard anyone here talk about murder charges for prior administrations. And what was the war crime? The only thing so far has been potentially the hitting of survivors, and that is dubious as well if we were in a war. If we were in a war, hitting these boats would just be part of the war. My point with all of this is the lack of transparency as to whether these boats are even carrying drugs in the first place, and at some point Trump and company need to get Congress to go along with this - there's only so long that the executive branch can go without Congressional sign off.

You’re normalizing again. I get it. Philosophically as a centrist you always feel compelled to point out both sides do it. That could be true some of the time but to claim both sides….ergo, it’s all the same, is intellectually dishonest.

You're ignoring things again. I get it. Philosophically, as a far-left partisan you always feel the need to only see the other side at fault. With this administration, that's true quite a lot, but not always. I won't blame you for being intellectually dishonest because frankly I don't think you're being intellectual here at all.

[kalm]

You’re normalizing again. I get it. Philosophically as a centrist you always feel compelled to point out both sides do it. That could be true some of the time but to claim both sides….ergo, it’s all the same, is intellectually dishonest.

You're ignoring things again. I get it. Philosophically, as a far-left partisan you always feel the need to only see the other side at fault. With this administration, that's true quite a lot, but not always. I won't blame you for being intellectually dishonest because frankly I don't think you're being intellectual here at all.

Far left partisan? Hmmm. I suppose some exist but the lefties I know are not partisan Democrats in practically any sense. They hate the Clintons, dislike Obama, can’t stand Jefferies or Schumer. The “far left” were at least as pissed off about Al Awaki killings as anyone. Even far right partisans such as yourself.

[UNI88]

I'm not justifying anything, I'm pointing out the inconsistency. Pretty sure we never heard anyone here talk about murder charges for prior administrations. And what was the war crime? The only thing so far has been potentially the hitting of survivors, and that is dubious as well if we were in a war. If we were in a war, hitting these boats would just be part of the war. My point with all of this is the lack of transparency as to whether these boats are even carrying drugs in the first place, and at some point Trump and company need to get Congress to go along with this - there's only so long that the executive branch can go without Congressional sign off.

You’re normalizing again. I get it. Philosophically as a centrist you always feel compelled to point out both sides do it. That could be true some of the time but to claim both sides….ergo, it’s all the same, is intellectually dishonest.

I don’t think Ganny is saying they’re the same. He is pointing out the similarities and he has pointed out some of the differences.

Obama had questionable cover under AUMF while trump has none.

Intent is the key.
For Obama, my understanding is that accidentally killing civilians (collateral damage) during a recognized military conflict is lawful under International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention.

For trump, if those survivors were clinging to wreckage, they were out of the fight and killing them was a violation on the UCMJ and Geneva Convention. All they have to do to prove they were still in the fight is show the recordings. If they won’t show the recordings it’s reasonable to ask why and question if they’re hiding something.


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[UNI88]

Speaking of fraud, how could we ever forget this clown and his bribery ...

[UNI88]

Whiskeyleaks moves to censure Sen Mark Kelly, review his retirement rank and pay over 'seditious video'

Secretary of War Pete "Whiskeyleaks" Hegseth said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., will receive a formal censure letter and that he has directed Secretary of the Navy John Phelan to review the retired Navy captain's retirement rank and pay and provide a recommendation in 45 days, sharply escalating an investigation alleging he made "seditious statements" that undermined military operations.

"Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly — and five other members of Congress — released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline," Whiskeyleaks said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice. And the Department of War — and the American people — expect justice."

The review could result in a downgrade of Kelly's rank at which he officially retired. As a result, his retirement pay, which is tied to rank, may also be reduced.

Here's another "seditious" video by a former military member that needs to be investigated ...