'Troops don't respect this guy': Seth Moulton slams Pete Hegseth
Rep. Seth Moulton (Mass.) shared some scathing remarks on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming that no one in Congress or the U.S. military respects him. The Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts called Hegseth an "embarrassment," noting that he is the only Army major who has never attended Ranger School. In an interview on MS Now, Moulton, who previously accused the Defense Secretary of potentially committing war crimes, said Democrats are the only ones willing to call him out, and he will continue to expose his lies before the war gets worse.
In the interview, Moulton was asked if it bothered him that Hegseth, despite being a veteran, didn't seem to get Army nuances. Responding to the question, the combat veteran who served as a U.S. Marine in the Iraq War, referred to Hegseth's mocking nickname, rooted in the claim that Hegseth never attended Ranger School, the rigorous training program that earns soldiers the coveted Ranger tab. "Of course. I mean, he's an embarrassment to the troops. I mean, that's why they call him Ranger Pete, because he's like the only Army major who's never been to Ranger School," Moulton said.
He went on to add that U.S. troops don't respect the Secretary of War, and neither do Members of Congress. "But it's only Democrats who are willing to call him out. And that's why I'm going to keep doing this. We've got to keep calling this guy out to expose the lies of this administration and stop this war before it gets worse," Moulton said.
In the recent House hearing on the Pentagon's budget proposal, Moulton pressed Hegseth to consider that the Iran war, which is now in its third month, could drag on for years and cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. The defense secretary dismissed the notion, claiming that "On the battlefield, it has been an astounding military success." When asked if "we are winning the war?" Hegseth told Moulton, "Absolutely". The lawmaker then pressed if the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could be seen as winning, Hegseth claimed the U.S. blockade of the Strait was a success. "It's like if President Madison had said, 'Well, the British just burned down Washington, but don't worry, we're gonna burn it down as well,'" Moulton scathed.
Despite mounting criticism, Hegseth has continued to tighten his grip on the Pentagon. He has been a staunch supporter of Trump's policies, and most recently, the Pentagon under his command ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany after the President threatened to pull troops following remarks made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the Iran war. Furthermore, since Trump returned to office in January last year, the Defense Secretary has fired or forcibly retired 24 generals and senior commanders, allegedly with no performance-related reasons to exert more command. Most recently, he removed Navy Secretary John Phelan, who had drawn criticism for overstepping his authority and using his close personal access to President Donald Trump, according to a Washington Post report.
