By Sergio Rodriguez Gelfenstein
December 12, 2025
The author is a Venezuelan consultant, international analyst, former Director of International Relations of the Presidency of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and former Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Nicaragua. (sergioro07.blogspot.com) Translation by Tlaxcala, revised by John Catalinotto.
Sergio Rodriguez Gelfenstein
Dec. 4, 2025. While Donald Trump was sketching out the composition of his cabinet after being elected and before taking office, he made a decision: the neoconservatives who had caused him so many problems during his first administration would have no place this time. Thus, he excluded, among others, Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, John Bolton and Elliott Abrams, who had held senior positions in his previous government.
But something went wrong. After the last Senate election, the upper chamber ended up with 53 Republican senators, 45 Democrats and 2 Independents who usually vote with the Democrats. Among the 53 Republicans elected, four — Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, both part of the Florida mafia, Bernie Moreno of Colombian origin and senator for Ohio and Ted Cruz of Cuban origin and senator for Texas — later joined by Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, identify ideologically with the fascist far right grouped within the neoconservative sector of the current U.S. administration.
Although a minority, the far-right senators held enough votes to determine outcomes in the Senate. They made this known to Trump, who needed them to pass his projects, so he reluctantly had to accept whatever they demanded … and they demanded the State Department, where they installed one of their own: Marco Rubio. From that moment, Trump has been politically blackmailed by this group. Many decisions stem from this coercion exerted by the neoconservative wing of his government. And apparently he can do nothing, because thanks to them not only was his cabinet approved, but also the budget and the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA),” an absurdity passed by senators eager to please the president.
Thus, Trump managed to get his cabinet nominations approved. However, when it came to appointing the head of what was then the Department of Defense — now renamed Department of War — the vote resulted in a tie that had to be broken by Vice President JD Vance.
This is how Peter Brian Hegseth, known as Pete, assumed the country’s highest military office despite the rejection of half the senators, including three Republicans. The arguments against him centered on his lack of experience, as well as rape accusations brought by a woman in 2017 — apparently “resolved” through a payment for silence.
Ultra-reactionary, homophobic
Hegseth, a shadowy figure born 45 years ago in Minneapolis, Minnesota, whose prior “experience” amounts to being a television host known for ultra-reactionary and conservative views — notably his pronounced and explicit homophobia based on the notion that homosexuality was alien to Western civilization — had declared that “the homosexual lifestyle is abnormal and immoral.”
His disposition is also plainly visible in his tattoo of the “Jerusalem Cross,” symbol of the Christian crusaders, reflecting extremist Christian ideology. Another tattoo includes the expression “Deus Vult,” Latin for “God wills it,” a Crusades battle cry later adopted by white supremacists.
Hegseth has authored four books. In the first, he offers an apology for the slave-based societies of the Southern states prior to the Civil War. He also believes that “women should never have been given the right to vote.” In his second book, American Crusade (2020), he wrote: “Just as the Christian crusaders repelled the Muslim hordes in the 12th century, American crusaders must show the same courage against today’s Islamists.”
Trump considered Hegseth’s brief participation in the U.S. Army National Guard sufficient grounds to appoint him secretary of defense, ignoring the fact that he rose only to the rank of captain and completed no advanced officer or strategic command training. What must generals and admirals with 35 or more years of service think of being commanded by a captain? Someone might argue that expertise is not gained only within the armed forces — true — but this captain has no political experience either: he failed in his bid to become a senator for his home state, which pushed him into a television job at Fox News, where lack of qualifications are not a great obstacle.
Reorienting the Pentagon
Upon assuming the new post, quickly revealing his lack of preparedness for such responsibility, he — in collusion with Marco Rubio — has led his tenure in two directions. First, he has pushed for a strategic reorientation of U.S. military doctrine, shifting its priorities from countering China and Russia — repeatedly stated by senior military leaders in congressional testimony — toward internal threats and the situation in the Western Hemisphere. According to an expert consulted by the German outlet Politico, the shift “does not appear to align at all with President Trump’s aggressive positions toward China.”
The second orientation, arising from the first, is that military doctrine should focus on protecting U.S. borders supposedly threatened by drug trafficking and migration, including combating these “enemies” inside the country itself.
An increasing number of influential voices in the U.S. are warning about the risks such a doctrine poses. Journalist Tucker Carlson warned that “in the future, the United States could face a civil war.” His argument is based on protests against the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and on the disturbances linked to Antifa, designated by the Trump administration as a “terrorist organization.” Hegseth and Rubio want to involve the U.S. armed forces on behalf of Trump and the Republicans in any such internal conflict. Likewise, governors have shown increasing resistance to allowing military presence in their states without authorization.
Another facet of Hegseth’s leadership is his intention to “clean out” the Pentagon of high-ranking officers “linked to the Democratic Party” or who adopted inclusive policies under the Biden administration. In this context, the Secretary of War (he changed the department’s name from Department of Defense) has fired or sidelined at least two dozen senior military officers in the past ten months. Likewise, about twenty generals and admirals have requested early retirement, including Admiral Alvin Hosley, head of U.S. Southern Command.
Many of these officers were expelled with little explanation, sometimes contradicting the advice of senior commanders who had served with them in combat. These actions have reportedly created a climate of “anxiety and distrust,” forcing leaders to take sides and at times pitting them against one another.
Simultaneously, sources reveal that the Pentagon chief has delayed or cancelled the promotions of at least four senior officers, because they previously worked for retired General Mark Milley, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff until 2023.
In one of the most notable changes, Trump appointed a new deputy chief of staff of the Army to replace General James Mingus, who served in this position less than two years. He nominated Lieutenant General Christopher LaNeve — unsurprisingly, a close adviser to Hegseth in his role as Senior Military Assistant. LaNeve was one of the military officers closest to Hegseth.
The Quantico gathering
This was the context in which, on Sept. 30, Hegseth gathered — for the first time since World War II — more than 800 generals and admirals at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, about 30 kilometers from Washington.
What was unusual about the meeting was not only the convening itself but its purpose. One might assume it was meant to discuss global strategic matters related to the political and military situation in the world, but it was not. Despite Trump’s introductory remarks about a “very beautiful meeting” to discuss “excellent military results,” the reality was different.
The atmosphere was tense: many generals worried about the security risks of bringing so many high-ranking officers into one location, when a video conference using the Pentagon’s secure internal systems would have sufficed, avoiding complex logistics. Confidentiality was also compromised.
In his speech, Hegseth attacked “woke ideology,” claiming it had developed within the military under previous administrations. Hegseth said he would not allow overweight people, bearded men or military personnel with long hair, also taking aim at “superficial individual expressions.” He also attacked women, saying they had no place in combat, and announced the return of “hard-core fighters” who had left under the “woke department.” He promised reforms in harassment investigation methods, declared “the end of men wearing dresses” as well as of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, promising a new army shaped in the image and likeness of the MAGA administration.
Before Hegseth’s remarks, Trump had declared that major urban centers were “very dangerous places [so] we will bring them to order one by one […] It will be an important task for some of the people in this room […] It is an internal war,” he concluded.
The meeting will not go down in history for its content but for the stunned faces of generals and admirals listening to the speeches and to the tirades against obesity, beards, homosexuality in the armed forces and the need to limit the presence of women.
Another facet of Hegseth’s management is his unprecedented attacks on the media, targeting individual reporters and the industry as a whole. Since his arrival, some outlets have been expelled from shared spaces. Likewise, journalists’ authorization to circulate in the Pentagon corridors has been restricted, and the press credentials of some correspondents have been revoked.
Among the journalists harshly attacked is Jennifer Griffin of Fox News, a veteran Pentagon reporter repeatedly targeted by Hegseth’s “acidic” remarks. Courtney Kube of NBC News was also targeted after coverage that — according to The New York Times — included unflattering information about Hegseth’s past, such as testimony from a family member regarding abusive behavior toward his second wife. These details surfaced during his nomination. Shortly after taking office, Hegseth ordered that Kube be expelled from the Pentagon — an order that could not be executed for lack of legal basis.
Hegseth’s illegal killings
In his most recent action, Hegseth allegedly ordered the killing of two fishermen who survived an attack after being baselessly accused of drug trafficking.
Democratic Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut called the attacks “illegal killings” and “troubling” and stated that Congress is receiving very little information from the Trump administration. Himes, the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, acknowledged but dismissed a White House memorandum justifying the attacks. “Based on what I know now and on reading this memo, these are illegal killings,” Himes said. “They are illegal, because the idea that the United States — and this is the administration’s justification — is engaged in an armed conflict with any Venezuelan drug trafficker is absurd. It would not stand in any court.”
In this context, a true internal war has erupted, with discussion emerging about the loss of “confidence” in Hegseth’s ability to negotiate at high levels, according to a Politico article published on Nov. 21. This led to an escalation of rhetoric within MAGA circles. One of its most notorious representatives, far-right activist Laura Loomer, accused Driscoll of ties to the Democratic Party and of “planning a coup d’état against Hegseth.”
According to Politico, the latest trip to Kiev by senior Pentagon officials, led by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, illustrates Hegseth’s loss of credibility and authority.
No one knows whether Hegseth can withstand the heavy pressure he is under. Weeks ago, a source close to the Pentagon said he appeared so nervous that he seemed “on the verge of exploding.” Surrounded by one of the world’s most powerful protective apparatuses, he has been particularly concerned for his safety since the assassination of ultraconservative activist Charlie Kirk during a public event.
According to the British Daily Mail on Sept. 29, citing sources close to him, Hegseth’s fear “is reflected in erratic behavior toward his staff.” Two anonymous Pentagon insiders said that in recent weeks he has launched tirades, lashed out at subordinates and become obsessed with security matters. “He has a manic quality — or rather, an even more manic quality, which is saying something,” said one source, describing him as visibly distracted, restless, standing up and pacing during meetings.
