Pete Hegseth

There's definitely evil forces at play, but a lot of this is stupidity and laziness. In my, albeit short time in the Pentagon... like with Ukraine, a lot of people in the Pentagon wanted to keep doing what we were doing in Ukraine. Some of them really had an ideological commitment to the Ukrainian project.

You know, Zelensky has a savior of global liberalism.

You know, Zelensky has a savior of global liberalism.

You know, Zelensky has a savior of global liberalism.

the so I I think that that because of their experience in some ways you can somewhat sympathize with it is that they they did sympathize with Ukraine but you know I saw a lot of it and a lot of it was it's easier to say we should keep doing what we're doing than admit that we had been screwing things up and think of a different way to do things I think that More than ideology.

the so I I think that that because of their experience in some ways you can somewhat sympathize with it is that they they did sympathize with Ukraine but you know I saw a lot of it and a lot of it was it's easier to say we should keep doing what we're doing than admit that we had been screwing things up and think of a different way to do things I think that More than ideology.

the so I I think that that because of their experience in some ways you can somewhat sympathize with it is that they they did sympathize with Ukraine but you know I saw a lot of it and a lot of it was it's easier to say we should keep doing what we're doing than admit that we had been screwing things up and think of a different way to do things I think that More than ideology.

And ideology plays an important role. The belief the American needs to be the global hegemon to enforce liberal hegemony. But really, for a lot of the people, and I think the same applies to the State Department, it's just easier to say we should just keep doing what we're doing.

And ideology plays an important role. The belief the American needs to be the global hegemon to enforce liberal hegemony. But really, for a lot of the people, and I think the same applies to the State Department, it's just easier to say we should just keep doing what we're doing.

And ideology plays an important role. The belief the American needs to be the global hegemon to enforce liberal hegemony. But really, for a lot of the people, and I think the same applies to the State Department, it's just easier to say we should just keep doing what we're doing.

I think there clearly is a very strong coalition within the United States that wants us to see another war in the Middle East. And it crosses both parties. Just to point something out, and I wrote about this in Foreign Affairs with a friend of mine, Reed Smith. You know, during the campaign, the Democrats attacked Trump for being too dovish on Iran.

I think there clearly is a very strong coalition within the United States that wants us to see another war in the Middle East. And it crosses both parties. Just to point something out, and I wrote about this in Foreign Affairs with a friend of mine, Reed Smith. You know, during the campaign, the Democrats attacked Trump for being too dovish on Iran.

I think there clearly is a very strong coalition within the United States that wants us to see another war in the Middle East. And it crosses both parties. Just to point something out, and I wrote about this in Foreign Affairs with a friend of mine, Reed Smith. You know, during the campaign, the Democrats attacked Trump for being too dovish on Iran.

And they attacked him for not doing more after killing Soleimani, not doing more after some of the Iranian drone strikes on Saudi Arabia in 2019. They accused him of being too weak on Iran. And the Democrat Party trotted out Liz Cheney, of all people.

And they attacked him for not doing more after killing Soleimani, not doing more after some of the Iranian drone strikes on Saudi Arabia in 2019. They accused him of being too weak on Iran. And the Democrat Party trotted out Liz Cheney, of all people.

And they attacked him for not doing more after killing Soleimani, not doing more after some of the Iranian drone strikes on Saudi Arabia in 2019. They accused him of being too weak on Iran. And the Democrat Party trotted out Liz Cheney, of all people.

and the endorsement of her father, had her going to battleground states, talking about the importance of staying, quote, strong in the Middle East and continuing to fund an unwinnable war in Ukraine. And that was the position they adopted. So it's kind of transcended the traditional right-left way we think about American foreign policy that came into being

and the endorsement of her father, had her going to battleground states, talking about the importance of staying, quote, strong in the Middle East and continuing to fund an unwinnable war in Ukraine. And that was the position they adopted. So it's kind of transcended the traditional right-left way we think about American foreign policy that came into being

and the endorsement of her father, had her going to battleground states, talking about the importance of staying, quote, strong in the Middle East and continuing to fund an unwinnable war in Ukraine. And that was the position they adopted. So it's kind of transcended the traditional right-left way we think about American foreign policy that came into being

at the end of the Cold War, or even before that. It really predates the end of Cold War. It really goes back to the Cold War where the, you know, in the post-Vietnam era, especially the Democrats were the doves, Republicans were the hawks. It really kind of transcends that. And you have this transpartisan movement to keep America engaged in the world.