No. of Recommendations: 10
Hegseth has gone from womanizing and admitting to affairs to associating with Douglas Wilson, a Christian-nationalist pastor who calls himself a paleo-Confederate, believes in patriarchy, has made the case against women’s suffrage, and has written that “the sexual act cannot be made into an egalitarian pleasuring party. A man penetrates, conquers, colonizes, plants. A woman receives, surrenders, accepts.” (Hegseth is now part of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, which was co-founded by Wilson.)
Hegseth carries resentment toward the military based on his own unhappy experience with it, saying the military “spit me out.” During Trump’s first term, Hegseth lobbied for pardons for three members of the military who were facing charges related to, or had been convicted of, war crimes. He defended Blackwater contractors convicted of murdering Iraqi civilians. He has called for changes in how the military approaches allegations of hazing and harassment. The defense secretary wants drill sergeants to be able to “put their hands on recruits,” and he wants to bring back “shark attacks” during basic training, allowing drill sergeants to swarm around recruits. “Basic training is being restored to what it should be—scary, tough, and disciplined,” he said.
(Gift link)
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/03/pete-...
