Concerns Over Army Secretary’s Impact

During a discussion on C-SPAN’s “ceasefire” on Friday, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) expressed his belief that Army Secretary Pete Hegseth’s time in office could negatively affect the country for years.

Moderator Dasha Burns prompted, “Considering your military background and your observations at the Department of Defense, what do you think the administration should do regarding the Secretary of Defense’s role?”

Bacon responded, “Well, it’s on the record now. After SignalGate, I feel I’ve seen enough. What I really wanted to see was someone taking accountability and acknowledging mistakes. When he shifted blame to the media for the article, that only damaged his credibility further. He entered the hearing with some issues, but I thought, ‘Let’s give him a fair shot.’ Yet, what I’ve witnessed is consistently poor decision-making. For instance, his media policies—though he isn’t directly responsible for SignalGate—have led to many second-rate journalists working outside the Pentagon. Major outlets like Fox, the New York Times, and the Washington Post are also not under Pentagon scrutiny.”

“We have military bases in our district, and due to presidential orders, they’re not permitted to talk to us unless their questions are approved through the Pentagon first. This sequence of decisions really frustrates me. Most troubling, however, are some of the choices made regarding Ukraine and NATO. These reflect simply poor judgment. Weakening our support for NATO is particularly alarming since we have a 75-year partnership with them, which has been vital to our national security.”

“While I believe some actions by the secretary are sanctioned by the White House, the bulk seems to come from the under secretary for policy, where many decisions are made. This approach could harm our country for years, undermining trust with our allies and jeopardizing essential alliances. That deeply concerns me.”