Irate Pete Hegseth claims Iran's leaders are 'rats' in hiding and demands a 'patriotic press' rewrite headlines

[groundloop]

Source: The Independent

A visibly irate Pete Hegseth has compared Iran’s leaders to “rats” in hiding and urged a "patriotic press” to rewrite headlines about the deadly, costly and escalating war.

“The U.S. is decimating the radical Iranian regime’s military in a way the world has never seen before,” the defense secretary boasted at a Friday morning press briefing. “We said it would not be a fair fight, and it has not been.”

[....]

Hegseth began the Friday morning briefing by berating the press, specifically targeting ABC News and CNN, and maintained a tone of barely concealed contempt throughout.

“Another example of a fake headline I saw yesterday: ‘war widening,’” he said. “Here’s a real headline for you, for an actual patriotic press: ‘Iran shrinking, going underground.’”

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/pete-hegesth-iran-plane-crash-b2937931.html

[littlemissmartypants]

1. A barking dog is a nervous dog.

[gab13by13]

2. Maybe he is reacting to a headline I saw today

from a pro-Russian news outlet. It claimed that Russia warned Iran about the military strike but Khamenei chose not to hide but chose to be a martyr.

Remember, it was a pro-Russian reporter.

[orangecrush]

3. Quiet, Piggy

[Timewas]

4. They would all

Every one of the so called leaders here would be in deep bunkers shaking in their boots under the same circumstances...

[Baitball Blogger]

5. I understand why he's confused.

The Playbook use to be simple. There were some things that Americans were brainwashed to believe. Like, you couldn't criticize a president when he was outside of the country; or, America comes together in the face of a common enemy, which is what they used against us when Bush II decided to attack Iraq. They managed to hit us over the head with a shovel claiming we had a lack of patriotism. But, it doesn't seem to be working for them, now. Does it?

So Pete is confused and demanding automatic respect because, in his mind, we are at war. But what he forgot is that the MAGAs were clear. They were weary of a long term war. Especially when one was started without substance, other than to disguise the fact that the president is a pedophile.

[GenThePerservering]

14. Weary or wary? - two different things

[Exp]

6. Kegsbreath is the "Fool Of War". nt

[cstanleytech]

7. Hess....I mean Hegseth should go join the Iranian government as he sounds a lot like them.

[twodogsbarking]

8. When you fuck up so bad it can't be fixed blame someone else. Then deny, deny, deny.

[intheflow]

9. The press is not required to be patriotic.

Why is this regime so ignorant of the First Amendment?

[liberalgunwilltravel]

10. If you're so fricking brave

Last edited Fri Mar 13, 2026, 05:52 PM - Edit history (1)

Why aren't you the tip of the spear? Or doesn't you makeup room travel well?

[twodogsbarking]

11. A rat turd badmouthing the rats.

[LudwigPastorius]

12. You want to have some influence over the press, fucker?

Go back to being a blathering FOX shithead.

Otherwise shut up, because we still have a 1st Amendment.

[City Lights]

13. Everything must be going swell.