Pete Hegseth

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.

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.
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.

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

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.

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

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.

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


Display honoring Jewish women graduates of naval academy removed ahead of Hegseth visit

Ahead of Pete Hegseth’s visit, the US Naval Academy took down a display honoring Jewish female grads, raising questions about his anti-DEI push.

 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s DEI initiative results in the removal of Holocaust Remembrance articles.

Signal leak tip of deeper institutional iceberg within US defense establishment - opinion

If US officials feel comfortable sharing classified operations on apps like Signal, one must question what other security protocols are being ignored behind closed doors.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used the encrypted Signal app to discuss classified details of US military strikes in Yemen. He did not just break protocol; he shattered the foundation of trust that underlies both national and international security apparatuses, says the writer.

US military announces more air assets for Middle East

The statement made no mention of specific aircraft. However, a least four B-2 bombers have relocated to a US-British military base on an island in the Indian Ocean.

 Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defense, attends a joint news conference with Gen Nakatani, Japan's defense minister, not photographed, at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, March 30, 2025

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Arabic tattoo sparks controversy

The term "kafir" (meaning "infidel" or "non-believer") is used in Islam to describe non-believers and has increasingly been appropriated by far-right groups. 

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's tattoo, "kafir" (meaning "infidel" or "non-believer")

US officials leaked Houthi strikes on Signal messaging – but is it safe?

Signal is trusted worldwide for encypted messaging. But a leak from inside the US government is now putting that trust to the test.

 The Signal messaging app logo is seen on a smartphone, in front of the same displayed same logo, in this illustration taken, January 13, 2021.

Trump advisor leaks included exact details of Houthi strikes in Signal chat

The texts included information on when the attacks were to take place, when US planes were to take off from base, as well as what planes and drones would be used.

 Screenshots of the Signal chat with Trump personnel and Atlantic Editor in Chief Jeffery Goldberg, March 26, 2023.

Trump weighs firing Waltz over alleged leak of US Houthi strike plans - report

“Everyone in the White House can agree on one thing: Mike Waltz is a f**king idiot," one official said. 

 U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speaks with the media following meetings with a Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 11, 2025.

'Nothing in the world comes close to it': US unveils new F-47 fighter jet

"I'm thrilled to announce that, at my direction, the United States Air Force is moving forward with the world's first sixth-generation fighter jet," Trump said at the White House.

 (Illustrative) The latest model of the F-47 fighter jet.

Holocaust remembrance pages removed in Pentagon’s DEI purge

Stories of Holocaust survivors were caught in the anti-DEI net, as was an article about Jewish “Golden Girls” star Bea Arthur.

 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s DEI initiative results in the removal of Holocaust Remembrance articles.

Trump administration exploring giving up NATO command, cutting defense expenditure - report

The Trump administration is considering giving up NATO command, a move that could drastically shift US influence in the alliance and alter US-EU relations.

US President Donald Trump attends a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (not pictured), ahead of the NATO summit in Watford, in London, Britain, December 3, 2019.