'A very dangerous person': alarm as Pete Hegseth revels in carnage of Iran war

[marmar]

(Guardian) Brash and bellicose, he sounded more like a cartoon bully than a sombre statesman. “Death and destruction from the sky all day long,” Pete Hegseth, wearing a red, white and and blue tie and pocket square, bragged to reporters at the Pentagon near Washington. “This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be.”

Hegseth, 45, a former Fox News TV host who now commands the world’s most powerful military, has this week become the face of Donald Trump’s war in Iran. That has set off for alarm bells for critics who warn that the Secretary of Defense – pointedly rebranded “Secretary of War” – has rapidly transformed the Pentagon into the staging ground for an ideological and religious crusade.

With machismo, Christian nationalism and callousness toward the lives of US troops, they say, Hegseth’s puerile displays on TV are aimed at sating Trump’s desire for a warmonger worthy of the manosphere. This was reinforced by a lurid social media video that intersperses clips from Hollywood blockbusters such as Braveheart, Gladiator, Superman and Top Gun with Hegseth and real kill-shot footage of the attacks in Iran.

Janessa Goldbeck, chief executive of Vet Voice Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy organisation, said: “Pete Hegseth is a very dangerous person. He’s a white Christian nationalist and has the arsenal of the United States government at his disposal and a permission slip from President Trump to deploy carnage wherever he wishes against whomever he wishes.” ...............................(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/08/pete-hegseth-pentagon-trump-iran

[dalton99a]

1. The criminal regime only hires dangerous assholes who belong in asylums

[eppur_se_muova]

6. Yeah, that sounds like ALL the checkboxes on the job application. nt

[BattleRow]

19. Are there actual applications?

I was under the impression these appointments were "anointings."

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[leftstreet]

3. They're 10 seconds away from using a nuke

This is horrifying

[jfz9580m]

16. That is terrifying

I used to think that our future was likelier to be Harry Harrison’s “Make Room! Make Room!” (a slow ecocollapse/war of economic attrition driven by human overpopulation, greed and materialism) than a nuclear apocalypse.

This is genuinely terrifying - apparently it is being pitched as for Armageddon:
https://jonathanlarsen.substack.com/p/us-troops-were-told-iran-war-is-for

I had so wanted to completely tune out the world and finally focus on my research work. But somehow, even as merely a civilian citizen scientist that seems vaguely like dereliction of one’s duty. One owes earth and its flora and fauna (including the dumbest species of all) what meagre support one can extend.

[MiHale]

4. The Crusades are back in action

[PatSeg]

5. He was absolutely beaming

like a child at Christmas. It was so disturbing to watch.

I wonder how many first shooter video games he's played throughout his life. He's not a serious player, just another performer with more ambition than talent.

[Blues Heron]

7. They will nuke something and tell us it actually saved lives

[AloeVera]

9. Well, it's happened before. N/T

[oasis]

8. "Pistol Pete"

[OGBuzz]

10. Not long now before his title is changed....

from Secretary to Cleric, and Trump's from President to Supreme Leader.

[Soul_of_Wit]

11. Theocracy is a threat to the Republic

Too many Americans scoff at the idea of the US becoming what the Christian Nationalists want. The Extreme Court should be enough of a red flag.

[NH Ethylene]

12. I'm glad this is getting attention.

I was literally agape listening to these comments on the news the other night. He was bouncing around like he was high on coke, going on about the war with the excitement of a kid reviewing his new video game.

[1WorldHope]

14. I have a serious question. Who is supposed to save us?

Did the people who wrote the Constitution never imagined this scenario? If the Congress isn't going to help, and the FBI and doj are corrupt who's supposed to help the people? We can't just wait for the next election, wait for them to cheat and that's so far away he could have nuked Minnesota by then. The majority of Americans want him gone. It just seems like we're in a really stupid place that somebody should have the power to change. I'm sick of hearing the politicians say the people have to do something. My whole life has become one big protest I don't know what else I can do, and I'm surrounded by a lot of really good human beings doing the same thing. Right now him and his cabinet are the enemies of the world he should be arrested as with the rest of them. But who's going to do the arresting?

[Joinfortmill]

21. Us or the Spooks.

[1WorldHope]

23. I know who us is, who are the spooks?

This doesn't sound very hopeful. 🫩 I don't know what I was expecting.

[Joinfortmill]

30. Various intelligence services around the world.

[1WorldHope]

37. Well, that makes me feel better, but they will have to keep it a secret from the US Intelligence, they are compromised.

?si=7P0cr5a-8iyYvKH0

[FakeNoose]

22. The system of checks and balances is supposed to save us

There are 3 separate branches or power centers - the legislative, the executive and the judicial. No one branch is ever supposed to have more power than the other two branches, and certainly not more than the other 2 branches combined. That's how our government was conceived, and that's how it has been maintained for almost 250 years.

The architects of our Constitution never foresaw the news media becoming so powerful and so beholden to the ultra-wealthy. There has been corrupt individuals of course, but the system would always right itself before too long.

[NH Ethylene]

27. Right now our only hope are the mid-term elections.

Yes, I know they are doing everything they can to obstruct Dem votes. We have to fight that and also make sure that the turnout will be so overwhelming that it can counteract the cheats. Trump is actually upping the turnout against him every day with his actions, so I am hopeful.

[liberalgunwilltravel]

17. A honorable military person

Will put an end to Hegseth. It’s just a matter of time.

[NH Ethylene]

28. Why bother? He can be replaced. n/t

[liberalgunwilltravel]

35. The next person might be more circumspect

If his predecessor were fragged.

[Ol Janx Spirit]

13. He's just vying for his own FIFA Peace Prize. NT

[jfz9580m]

15. The MRFF is pretty worried

The MRFF (the military religious freedom foundation) and military.com are good sources of military news.

I am not American, but I am from a military family and so I have some affection for the military proper (as opposed to defense contracting, which I consider a mercenary scourge more than not..no personal stake, but monetizing war).

My dad is a retired military vet (Indian Navy). He is very patriotic and a man of mild but deep personal faith. He definitely considers himself a Hindu, and he likes some people who are in the BJP.

But he is never insane or dogmatic. You lose him anytime you do things that are not truly in the military’s/the nation’s/his interests.

He is a classic conservative I suppose, but he is never a fool.

Dad is shrewd enough to be wary anytime this sort of religious muscle flexes itself. He also doesn’t care for solipsistic narcissism with scant regard for the actual men and women whose lives are being put on the line.

He has fought in a war so he doesn’t see war as a game. Lack of discipline and dress-up kayfabe would not impress dad.

This is madness:

https://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/2026/03/mrff-inundated-with-complaints-of-gleeful-commanders-telling-troops-iran-war-is-part-of-gods-divine-plan-to-usher-in-the-return-of-jesus-christ/

“This morning our commander opened up the combat readiness status briefing by urging us to not be “afraid” as to what is happening with our combat operations in Iran right now. He urged us to tell our troops that this was “all part of God’s divine plan” and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ. He said that “President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.” — MRFF active duty NCO client, writing on behalf of themself and 15 other unit members

MRFF has received over 200 calls from more than 50 military installations across all the services since Saturday reporting similar disturbing pronouncements from their Christian zealot commanders.

[bdamomma]

43. CHURCH

and STATE should be separate!!!!!! In their warped minds they are saying this is what a "higher power" wants us to do??????? Fucking sick they are!!!!

[mn9driver]

18. I hope his trial for war crimes is televised.

[1WorldHope]

24. They have to be arrested first.

[Joinfortmill]

20. What a creep

[BidenRocks]

25. I despise the lack of honor!

Kick 'em while they are down perfectly describes America.

We no longer have fist fights in schools. Kids are worried if they don't kill the other kid, payback may be fatal.
Remember when you could just give up?

We bought our arsenal for DEFENSE! Not so megalomaniacal assholes can take over the world.

"Now what Brain?"
"We're going to take over the world, Pinky!"

But that was funny.

[Javaman]

26. He makes Baghdad Bob seem normal nt

[calimary]

29. If he's reveling in it so much, Hell, send HIM over there.

Here, dude! You so jazzed about us being in another war? Okay then. Suit up and go over there YOURSELF. Get a good look. Close to the action (where you already imagine yourself as some high-fallutin’ all-powerful military commander).

Did he ever actually serve? Did he ever see the deep dark downside of military action? Where America’s finest young warriors go overseas to some hell hole and come back with their legs blown off, or worse: in a box?

War IS Hell. But how could the donald REALLY know or understand that? He’s never served. NEVER. He never went through basic training, never lived the life of a soldier or recruit. Never personally faced that kind of brutal REALITY.

All he knows are the parades and pageantry and deferential treatment that a president gets. He has no clue.

[Initech]

31. The man is legitimately psychotic. And certifiably deranged.

[OldBaldy1701E]

32. "We are punching them while they're down, which is exactly how it should be."

I sincerely hope you remember that when the time comes, you eternal waste of skin.

That guy deserves to be dropped from a near orbital flight... while wearing that faux 'patriotic' crap.

Let's see how 'unfair' he thinks it is.

[debm55]

33. He is either drinking or a dry drunk. Both are extremely dangerous.

[ShazzieB]

34. Unreal.

NEVER FORGET: anything and everything Hegseth does is not only his and Trump’s fault. It's the fault of every Republican in the Senate who voted to confirm his appointment (and they were ALL Republicans). Because 3 Repubs voted "Nay" (Collins, McConnell, and Murkowski), the vote was 50-50, requiring Vance's vote to break the tie. If JUST ONE MORE Republican had voted "Nay," he would not have been confirmed.

The 47 who voted for him should be deeply, profoundly ashamed of themselves. (I know a lot of them are not capable of feeling shame, but I hope at least a few are.) If any of them are up for reelection, I hope the Dems running against them all use their Yea votes for the confirmation of Hdgseth and other Trump cabinet appointees as a cudgel to pound them with.

Of course, that's assuming the planet survives this and Trump doesn't manage to shut the election down entirely, but I still have a few shreds of hope. 🕊

[catchnrelease]

36. And here's another deranged idiot

Lindsey Graham, who has reportedly conferred with Israel's govt to goad the orange scum into this mess, came out with this insanity today--

'Senator Lindsey Graham issued a stark warning during a Fox News interview, suggesting the United States and Israel are planning significant military escalation in the coming weeks.
"You just wait to see what comes the next two weeks," Graham told host Maria Bartiromo, refusing to elaborate on his cryptic statement.
When Bartiromo pressed for clarification, Graham responded bluntly: "We're going to blow the hell out of these people." '
Quote taken from a Raw Story post.

What is wrong with someone that can make a statement like that? He's talking about innocent people there! His photo has to be in the dictionary under the word 'shameless'.

Editing to add:
Now I'm reading that he finished that interview with this gem:
Lindsey Graham: "If we get in a fight, I want to win it quick. I'm in Miami. You see this hat? 'Free Cuba.' Stay tuned. The liberation of Cuba is upon us. We're marching through the world. We're clearing out the bad guys. Cuba is next."

[at140]

38. 3 strikes and pistol Pete is out

1. 12 day war with Iran last year
2. Maduro kidnapping
3. Current war with Iran.
Trigger happy Pete needs to be impeached very soon.

[LSparkle]

39. That video has haunted me for days ...

It’s an abomination. Lifting clips from movies and interspersing them with real recent war footage ... the studios should fucking sue. Don’t know if that opening with the computers and “Wake up, Daddy’s home” is from a movie but that really needs to be slapped down if so.

These are NOT serious people and they are infantilizing our country. We look like juvenile delinquents on the world stage.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

40. He is insane

[Evolve Dammit]

41. Maybe the xtian Crusades theme tattoos are a giveaway? Guess Mom is the same. Going to get us all killed. nt

[bdamomma]

42. To

them, like Hegseth, they want a "holy war" and they are making sacrifices with Brown people.

The founders for that reason wanted CHURCH and STATE to be Separate!!!!!

[jfz9580m]

44. This is the worst example of a human with nothing but kayfabe

I hope they don’t use nukes..
Isn’t there anyone left to..stop mutually assured destruction.

This is a real news story not a sad Diplomacy Game metaphor. I wonder sometimes if these guys can tell anymore..

Hah..I got it..I felt something was wrong re this being a problem of lack of quality education.
You can manage without even that absent active brainwashing which overrides your organic intelligence.
It is highly recommended that anyone navigating a complex modern society have expertise, knowledge and intelligence of course.

But at the very least the absence of brainwashing and more of these twenty steps backwards and half a step forward technocratic fixes..
Wet markets and factory farms and pandemic risk are fine! We have vaccines!
One fucking lunatic nuisance technology after another destroying attention and memory are fine! We have creepy Jonathan Haidt columns, scammy TED tech talks, creepy cottage industries of tech creep funded internet research choking out all real research* and ransomware patches!
We are buffered for collateral damage!
No billionaires were hurt in the making of this abomination!!!
*: DU is the sole internet use I champion as DU is different because of elad/EarlG and DUers.

[dedl67]

45. "War is a place where young people who don't know each other and don't hate each other...

kill each other based on the decisions made by old men who know each other and hate each other, but don't kill each other."

Bertrand Russell (I think)

[hadEnuf]

46. Yeah, Hegseth is a real psycho.

We might have been better off with the other kiddy diddler Trump nominated.

What a choice....

[flvegan]

47. 77 million dirtbag Americans voted for this.

10s of millions of dirtbag Americans chose to not vote at all and let this happen.