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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled new details about his goals of reviving the “warrior ethos inside the military” during a recent interview with Fox News.
Chatting with Fox News host Lara Trump for a wide-ranging discussion on his first several months with the Trump administration, Hegseth reflected on how it was the “honor of a lifetime” to serve as the defense secretary of the United States.
“Our commitment has been clear from the minute, from the first minute [of the administration],” he said “My View with Lara Trump.” “Restore the warrior ethos, rebuild our military-which President Trump did in the first term, and we’re doing again.”
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Hegseth credited Trump’s leadership and the pilots of the B-2 bombers that conducted the U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities back in June. He praised the mission, Operation Midnight Hammer, was one of the “most brilliant efforts in our military history.”
“All the love and credit go to those in uniform who pulled it off,” Hegseth said. “But again, our commander-in-chief set the tone, and now we’ve got a whole different set of opportunities.”
“Trump’s instinct, at the beginning, was based on his understanding of what those weapons could do and that they were delivered properly to the right place. Those places were obliterated, and he was right,” he added.
Hegseth touched upon how he is making sure U.S. troops are kept to the highest physical standards, and the guidance he is giving to keep that promise.
“One of the most basic things you can do in the military is do PT in the morning. And that’s what we’re trying to do, get back to basics,” he said.
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Hegseth also stressed that physical standards apply equally to both men and women, and that everyone, regardless of their identity, simply must be qualified to serve.
“Carrying a rucksack or carrying an artillery round; carrying your buddy across the battlefield- it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman,” he added. “You just need to be able to meet the standard.”
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Hegseth gave credit to his family for supporting him as he leads the Pentagon.
“It’s been a family thing from the beginning,” Hegseth explained. “I couldn’t do this without my wife. She’s been right there by my side-been my rock. But then also, you know, the kids don’t know what to think of it, right? I’m just dad to them.”
While Hegseth praised the U.S. military’s efforts thus far in the Trump administration, he insisted his mission of instilling a long-term “warrior ethos” into the organization is very much still a work-in-progress.
“Driving change into institutions is a difficult thing to do. The response of the American people, the immediate response to recruiting-it inspires the building,” he said. “There’s a ton of work left to be done to sort of truly put the ‘America First’ fingerprints stamp on the Defense Department. We’ve just gotten started.”
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