- Two former U.S. military officers anonymously accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of effectively forcing them into early retirement for questioning his directives, interpreting their actions as insubordination.
- The officers claimed Hegseth is "intimidated by people who have real warfighting background" and cannot tolerate those who "call him on his bulls***," citing the removal of Gen. Christopher Donahue, the last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan .
- Hegseth has reportedly fired or sidelined nearly three dozen officers and admirals, including Navy Secretary John Phelan and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, and blocked promotions for 40 senior colonels or Navy captains since taking charge.
- Critics observe that Hegseth's targets often include women, people of color, judge advocate generals, and officers linked to events he considers mishandled, suggesting a focus on consolidating power rather than reforming standards.
- While the Pentagon denies the claims as "completely false," Hegseth stated he was tasked by President Donald Trump to "challenge the culture" of his department, asserting that "the only metric is merit" in his personnel decisions.
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