Several senior military leaders are demanding that Donald Trump oust Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a result of his failure to achieve the administration’s objectives in the ongoing conflict with Iran, which has dragged on for six months despite assurances from both the “president” and Hegseth that victory would be achieved in weeks, not months.
A Washington Post report notes, “Overall, the tenor from the military leadership is that the ongoing Iran operation, having reached the six-month mark, has been ‘too much for too long.'”
“Certain generals and admirals were more expansive and frank than is usual in telling Hegseth they disagreed with orders to keep providing equipment and personnel when the operation’s trajectory remains uncertain.”
The Army, Navy and Air Force and the four-star commanders overseeing U.S. operations abroad delivered these warnings to Hegseth in the Aug. 14 edition of the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, sources revealed to the Post.
The Navy is of particular concern to the senior military officials who made their concerns know, but all branches are facing troubling uncertainties
“The military’s warning to Hegseth…offers new insight into the administration’s dilemma as Trump seeks to end the conflict on terms favorable to the United States,” the report adds.
“Iran, cognizant of the war’s unpopularity with most Americans and its mounting toll on the U.S. arsenal, refuses to capitulate.”
Hegseth, much like Trump, has repeatedly tried to put a positive spin on the seemingly endless Iran operation, which has also depleted weapons reserves that are now at dangerously low levels.
Additionally, focusing on Iran threatens to allow other nations — China, North Korea, and Russia — to make military moves that cannot be countered by U.S. military force.
For example, if China were to suddenly invade and try to gain control of Taiwan, American forces would then have to try and fight two conflicts at once, meaning that China might get what it wants before the U.S. can even send ships to the area as a warning to Chinese forces and their leaders at in Beijing.
This all comes amid reports that members of the American military are stretched so thin that some are abandoning their posts and even jumping overboard in a desperate effort to draw attention to their plight.
Hegesth’s ouster would be a welcome move, but given Trump’s propensity for picking the worst of the worst for nearly every cabinet post, he could well be replaced by an even bigger fool.
