Hegseth, Trump Tell Generals to Use Force Against Americans - The Wednesday AM Quickie 10/1/25
They played The Liberty Bell a couple times at Peter Brian Hegseth’s big military meeting yesterday (see below) and all I could think of was the Monty Python intro, which I guess is appropriate. Corey is back tomorrow, see you next week. - Whitney
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THE BIG NEWS
Hegseth, Trump Tell Generals to Use Force Against Americans, Call Them Fat
Former Fox News employee Peter Brian Hegseth, who was once credibly accused of rape and is now the Secretary of Defense, told a room full of hundreds of generals and admirals yesterday that they were fat slobs doing too much woke stuff, The Guardian, NYT, and The Washington Post reported. Hegseth used his made-for-podcast monologue to rail against women and “beardos” and boast that he does “regular, hard” workouts (hard to believe). If audience members don’t like what he’s saying, then they “should do the honorable thing and resign,” he told the room full of people with vastly more experience than him. It was a ridiculous speech and a waste of taxpayer money and everyone knew it. Per the NYT:
To some, Mr. Hegseth’s speech was poorly matched to his audience of senior officers who in most cases are responsible for complex military operations such as the maintenance of nuclear submarines, America’s global alliances or the development of complex air-tasking orders, such as the one needed for the strikes on Iran’s nuclear program earlier this year.
The military officers assembled in the room listened silently. It is likely, though, that at least some of them were seething at his suggestion that their collective failure to enforce basic standards had caused, or even contributed to, the military’s failings in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“I mean, first of all, that’s like an insane insult to his senior officers, who all made their bones fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Elliot Ackerman, who led Marines in the second battle of Falluja and served with a Marine special operations unit in Afghanistan. “Those guys have got a lot more dust on their boots than he does.”
Hegseth’s speech also included some bone-chilling moments, such as his promise to review the rules of engagement. “We untie the hands of our war fighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement. Just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for war fighters.” So, more serial killers like Eddie Gallagher. Then Trump took the stage to deliver his own rambling speech for more than an hour. He discussed how much he likes the word “tariff” (more than “God,” say, or “wife), and how he can’t talk about nuclear energy (“I call it the n-word. There are two n-words, and you can’t use either of them.”) But, as with Hegseth’s speech, there were also moments of disturbing, authoritarian fearmongering. He attacked “radical-left lunatics” and said the US is under attack “from within.” Taken together, the speeches made me think that Hegseth and Trump want the US military to use lethal force against Americans.
MORE STORIES TO WATCH
US Government is Closed for Business
Democrats blocked Republicans’ attempt to pass a federal spending budget without negotiating on healthcare subsidies and cuts. So now, because Republicans are obsessed with stopping people from getting modern medicine, the government is shut down. Senator John Barasso of Wyoming said lawmakers would vote again Wednesday on Republicans’ temporary funding measure, which as of yesterday night didn’t include extensions to Obamacare subsidies or other measures Democrats want. Federal workers are urging Democrats to hold the line and not give in, saying they do not want to be used as a reason to cave. They delivered a letter to Democratic leadership telling them to do everything in their power to block Republicans from further eroding federal services, even if it means shutting down the government. Here’s their letter.
Men In Gaza, Including Aid Workers, Sexually Exploiting Women in Exchange for Food
Multiple women in Gaza detailed to the Associated Press the sexual harassment, abuse, and exploitation that men are forcing them to endure in addition to Israel’s genocide. The abusers include aid workers “promising food, money, water, supplies or work in exchange for sexual interactions.” In some cases, the AP said, “the men’s solicitation was blatant: ‘Let me touch you,’ one woman recalled being told. Other times, it was culturally coded: ‘I want to marry you,’ or ‘Let’s go together somewhere.’” Psychologists described patients’ accounts: “One said her organization – focused on protecting women and children – treated dozens of cases involving men sexually exploiting vulnerable women, including some in which they became pregnant.”
QUICKEST QUICKIES
- GOP Shutdown Will Cancel Telehealth Appointments for Millions of Seniors “While most Medicare reimbursements to doctors and hospitals will continue when the government shuts down Wednesday, payments for video health care visits – which gained in popularity during the pandemic and must be separately authorized for an extension by Congress – face elimination.” via The Washington Post.
- Georgia Lawmaker Ruwa Romman Runs for Governor After DNC Froze Her Out of National Convention “I’m running to build the movement. Because for over the 20 years Republicans have controlled our state, hospitals have shut down, the minimum wage on our books is still $5.15 an hour, and our education continues to drop. In order to fix all of those things, the first things, the first thing we need to do is replace who the governor is.” via The Guardian.
- South African Ambassador to France Found Dead Outside Paris Hotel The window of Ambassador Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa’s room on the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency hotel was forced open; he was a senior figure in the African National Congress, the governing party, for which he served on the national executive committee, its highest decision-making body. via the NYT.
- Landlords Demanding Renters’ Work Logins They’re vetting potential tenants with a tool that scrapes their paystubs and a massive amount of other information from employers’ systems, possibly illegally. via 404 Media.
SOME NUMBER
3 or 4
That’s how many days Trump gave to Hamas to agree to his proposal for Gaza before he lets Israel “go in and do what they have to do,” Politico reported. Hamas doesn’t have room to negotiate, Trump said: “Hamas is either going to be doing it or it’s not, and if it’s not, it’s going to be a sad end.”
ON THE SHOW TODAY
10/1: Today’s guests are Jesse Coburn, a journalist at ProPublica covering housing, transportation, cities and infrastructure; and Antonio Delgado, lieutenant governor of New York, who is challenging Kathy Hochul in the 2026 Democratic primary.
DON'T MISS MR CLIPS
Trump-Hegseth Preparing To Use Military Against US Citizens
The Sleepy Dictator (2025) .
He's So Good At This...
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PARTING WORDS
“We had just bought our first home together, and he worked hard every single day to make sure our children had what they needed. His death is a senseless tragedy that has left our family shattered. I do not know how to explain to our children that their father is gone.”
-- Stephany Gauffeny, whose husband, Miguel Ángel García-Hernández, 32, has died after being removed from life support. García-Hernández was one of the three immigrants shot at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas on Sept. 24. Two have died.
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