Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had a meltdown on Thursday during a Pentagon press conference, excoriating reporters for failing to act as cheerleaders for his boss, President Donald Trump. In a briefing about U.S. strikes on Iran, Hegseth criticized the press for not following the Pentagon line and called on journalists to “wave an American flag.”
His statements harken back to past Pentagon calls for fawning coverage in the name of patriotism.
“The press corps,” Hegseth complained, “cheer against Trump so hard, it’s like in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump because you want him not to be successful so bad.” Hegseth’s tantrum stemmed from reporting that cast doubt on Trump’s assertion that recent U.S. air strikes had “obliterated” Iranian nuclear facilities last Saturday.
So, MAGA is now full-on the war-hawk train, and picking up speed? So much for their "America First" bullshit.