this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2025
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politics

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[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 145 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

My favorite part was when Hegseth talked about removing politics from the military, and then trump spent 20 minutes whining about politics.

[–] Tryenjer@lemmy.world 67 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

Hegseth disrupted the lives of 800 highly educated military leaders to call them fat. 🤣

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 14 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

did you see how long they had to sit with his talk and trumps and the stupid music playing. well over two hours but how to say.

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[–] massacre@lemmy.world 40 points 7 hours ago (3 children)

He meant remove Democrat politics, not GOP ones.

[–] TemplaerDude@sh.itjust.works 17 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Exactly.

These scumbags talk one thing and do the opposite.

They deserve the gallows before they take the rest of that shit country down with them.

[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 17 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

I'm afraid it's far too late for that. You think things are bad now? You just wait. Shit's gonna start getting extremely ugly when the massive house of cards that is the current US economy starts falling down - which I personally would normally peg to start happening in earnest by early next year, but with Trump deliberately destroying the very source that would let us all know the numbers behind what's actually going on in the economy all bets on timing are off. The longer it gets put off, the worse it's gonna be, however.

[–] TemplaerDude@sh.itjust.works 8 points 6 hours ago (3 children)

I’m just pulling for some Americans to do the right thing and start putting holes in these fascists. Doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen though, they’re happy just memeing their way to hell.

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[–] cmbabul@lemmy.world 9 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Just like Christian’s don’t consider Christianity anything besides “the truth” American conservatives/maga/gop also don’t think their political beliefs are political, just “common sense”

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[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 6 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

More like anything but MAGAt ones, with Cheeto Gawd at the center of everything.

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 117 points 8 hours ago (3 children)

Hegseth is a cartoon villain that shouldn't be anywhere near a position of power

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reposted and praised a video interview of a self-described Christian nationalist pastor whose church doesn't believe women should be allowed to vote.

Just an utter scumbag.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 22 points 7 hours ago (3 children)

We should start treating these goons like actual cartoon villains. Cartoon villains usually get thwarted on a weekly basis.

[–] SereneSadie@lemmy.myserv.one 10 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

We're living in the Boondocks cartoon.

The white villains get away with everything.

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[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 8 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

That's too kind, they deserve to be the victims in a slasher flick.

Or just put them on a Star Trek set wearing their favorite color.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 10 points 7 hours ago (6 children)

Or just put them on a Star Trek set wearing their favorite color.

Make damn sure it's TOS, otherwise they'll be in Command.

[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 5 points 6 hours ago

Shh! That's how we're tricking them into showing up!

[–] 5too@lemmy.world 4 points 5 hours ago

Oh, that's what happened!

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[–] TheLowestStone@lemmy.world 5 points 7 hours ago

I'd rather see them thwarted once. Permanently.

[–] etherphon@midwest.social 6 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I wouldn't trust this white trash piece of shit to close out a shift at Subway.

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 4 hours ago

I wouldn’t trust him to close out a tab.

[–] aceshigh@lemmy.world 4 points 4 hours ago

Trump’s spiritual advisor is a woman. Everyone will be out for a power grab when he dies. Right now they just pretend to be ok with whatever doesn’t align with their beliefs.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 97 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

"All I've had from them so far, from the people I've talked to, is a combination of disbelief that some of them were made to fly from, some of them, Asia, from all over the world ... all the way to Quanico to listen to the same familiar type of culture war complaints that we've been having since Trump was reelected," she added, calling Trump's remarks a "campaign-style stump speech."

They love making people do shit like this, and absolutely despise being reminded that someone can make them do it.

As long as they don't bitch out and resign, this is going to backfire on trump.

Even if he tries to kick them out, they can drag their feet thru the official process, and if trump starts circumventing that widescale, the rest will close ranks and do a coup out of pure self interest.

You don't get that high up without putting your career over everything, and trump just threatened their careers.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 38 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

Even if he tries to kick them out, they can drag their feet thru the official process, and if trump starts circumventing that widescale, the rest will close ranks and do a coup out of pure self interest.

collapsed inline media

Things might get spicy when we finally have folks that decide to uphold their oaths to uphold the Constitution. We certainly haven't seen any in the Executive Branch yet, and most of the Judicial and Legislative seems to be abdicating their oaths too.

[–] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 26 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (2 children)

Note the oath the enlisted take specifically says they will follow the orders of the President.

That's not the one that matters.

The officer's oath does not include that, specifically for this reason:

I ___, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God. (Title 5 U.S. Code 3331, an individual, except the President, elected or appointed to an office of honor or profit in the civil service or uniformed services)

https://www.army.mil/values/officers.html

I'm 99% sure that these oaths apply across the board regardless of branch, because they apply to more than just commissioned officers.

[–] PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world 9 points 8 hours ago (2 children)
[–] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 7 points 7 hours ago

Yeah they both say that.

Only one also says they'll do what the POTUS says.

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[–] MisterOwl@lemmy.world 11 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

We certainly haven’t seen any in the Executive Branch yet, and most of the Judicial and Legislative seems to be abdicating their oaths too.

And these generals will follow suit. People keep saying how serious and career-driven they are. What makes you think they won't put their career over the constitution like everyone else?

[–] Horsecook@sh.itjust.works 10 points 7 hours ago

”If you don’t like what I’m saying, you can leave the room, of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future” -Trump, to the entire military leadership

If enough of them decide simultaneously that Trump is the main impediment to their careers, then you have a good, old-fashioned military coup.

[–] Makeitstop@lemmy.world 7 points 6 hours ago

The federal courts are filled with people appointed through the political process, and a lot of the bullshit that's made it through the courts is a result of venue shopping to find sympathetic judges. But more importantly, the Trump administration has been losing a lot in court... until the Supreme Court steps in and reverses those rulings on the shadow docket. It's not the whole judicial branch that's the problem, just the ones that matter the most.

The legislature isn't doing its job because it's controlled by Republicans, and as a party they've gone through multiple purges to root out anyone who would put the country or the constitution ahead of Trump's slightest whim.

The executive branch has been under siege all year, a lot of people were fired without cause, and a lot of other people are resigning or getting fired rather than doing shit that's illegal and unconstitutional. While in some instances there are lawsuits making their way through the courts, there's only so much they can do after they get escorted out of the building.

To the best of my knowledge, the leadership of the military has had much more continuity and isn't so easily stacked with loyalists. You can't just grab some 20 something techbro douchebag from Elon's little band of hitler youth, or the last lawyer that was dumb enough to represent Trump and make them a general.

And there is also a big difference between what might be demanded of some congressman or civil servant compared to the military. While I doubt we'll see anyone directly disobeying an order from the white house that has troops standing around outside federal buildings, I do think it's pretty likely that an order to nuke an American city would be disobeyed. The question for each of them is where they draw the line. Openly defying orders is not something to be done lightly in the military.

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[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world 54 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

I’m surprised that the pentagon reporter is allowed to talk about this.

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 29 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Soon to be “ex-pentagon reporter….”

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 16 points 9 hours ago

Or possibly another citizen deportee. Damn i hate this timeline

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 4 points 6 hours ago

Yeah I had a choice to see the speech from fox news, washington post, or AP. Chose AP being the one they want booted next.

[–] blattrules@lemmy.world 41 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

I hope every single one of them realizes that they were used as seat fillers for more culture war bullshit. I’m sure they can see right through these two man-babies for the weak human beings they are and will think twice when they’re asked to do something illegal/immoral for them.

[–] unphazed@lemmy.world 10 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Mussolini promised the world to his troops, and was seen as a competent soldier himself (I admit I know little on his military prowess). Our regime is led by a diaper wearing, flat footed nepo baby who hired a pretty boy guardsman who spent more time in front of a camera wielding propaganda than he did a rifle to lead our entire military. These generals meanwhile get chastised and left to fix every fuckup generated by the administration with no reward for themselves or the men and women under their command. Then they see any hope of rewards in retirement after decades of service go up in smoke. Yeah, I'm not too worried about them doing illegal actions on US citizens. I'm becoming more afraid of a military coup however. If our balance of power and law becomes obsolete, then they may see it as reason to change the executive power as it stands.

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[–] paper_moon@lemmy.world 35 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (4 children)

Well, expect all of them to be removed in favor of people who did, by the end of the week.

[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 32 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

You won't find anybody who liked Hegseth's speech, because it didn't appeal to anybody. It was both naive and condescending, and it was presented by a guy who nobody would respect in the first place. Nobody thinks the problem with our military is that some general is overweight.

But I'm sure it would be easy to find some people who say they liked the speech. It's the same way that some people say they like Donald Trump. Strange how often those same people say that he's the dumbest person on the planet once they get too fed up with him and leave.

[–] NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 12 points 8 hours ago

No. But you will find boot lickers who want a promotion/more "responsibilities" who will kneel down and asik hegseth if he wants the hot or cold blowie if it gets them the power of the general who got caught yawning.

[–] RattlerSix@lemmy.world 7 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I don't think we have enough Fox news hosts to replace them all

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[–] pinheadednightmare@lemmy.world 34 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Just curious how much it cost American tax payers for this meeting that could have been an email?

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 22 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Speak for yourself, I would have paid DIRECTLY to the defense department to put Hegseth on stage in front of hundreds or thousands of career military professionals from all walks of life and all branches of our highest levels of defense planning and strategy so they all get to see him in person for what he is, a wannabe TED-talking, sound-bite spewing grifter civilian with no leadership qualifications past running a podcast. Telling them each "how it's going to be" in a sad, rambling, uninspired, chat-GTP written lecture that you would expect from a CEO of a silicon valley startup hungup on military aesthetics.

There is no better way to ensure that every competent and concerned armed-forces leader is on the same page as getting them all in a room together to listen to these clowns perform their circus act.

If it comes to it, we do not win revolutions without the military. We need this kind of performance.

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[–] ultranaut@lemmy.world 27 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Something truly ridiculous is Hesgeth lectured these generals on grooming and hygiene but he is actually on the record as a filthy weirdo who doesn't believe in washing his own hands: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47201923

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 6 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Maybe he was trying to nazi dogwhistle, would not surprise me if he plagiarised an SS.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 25 points 6 hours ago (3 children)

The military may just have to step in and save us on this one guys. This administration is a direct threat to democracy and everyone who has provided material support for Project 2025 is a traitor.

[–] Schmoo@slrpnk.net 13 points 3 hours ago

The military isn't going to step in and save us unless they feel strongly that the public will support them wholeheartedly, and they aren't going to feel that way if there isn't massive and unprecedented civil unrest. That means the onus is on us.

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[–] Kurious84@lemmings.world 13 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

They probably bugged their hotel rooms to see if they talk shit about trump

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[–] deacon@lemmy.world 10 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Soon to be former pentagon reporter I’m sure.

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[–] chilldrivenspade@lemmy.world 10 points 7 hours ago

secretary of culture war

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Did....did Hegseth even make it to NCO?

Christ.

No.

He was a Princeton ROTC brat and made it all the way to Major, O-4, in twenty fucking years.

Throw that level of 'career development' onto an enlisted track, and no, he would not have even gotten to an NCO rank, which typically start around E-5, Sergeant.

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[–] Gates9@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 hours ago
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