Defense Department Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson torched The Atlantic over a hit piece claiming that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is making policy changes that will effectively &#8220;sideline&#8221; women in the military.
Staff writer Missy Ryan shared the article along with the following tease line, on X: &#8220;NEW: Will Pete Hegseth&#8217;s &#8216;War on Woke&#8217; sideline women in the military? A team appointed by Hegseth to look at fitness/combat standards will review and possibly redo the &#8216;women in combat&#8217; study that led to the integration of ground combat roles 10 yrs ago.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Will Pete Hegseth&#8217;s &#8216;War on Woke&#8217; sideline women in the military? A team appointed by Hegseth to look at fitness/combat standards will review and possibly redo the &#8216;women in combat&#8217; study that led to the integration of ground combat roles 10 yrs ago. <a href="https://t.co/HlQo4B1Bzi">https://t.co/HlQo4B1Bzi</a>
— Missy Ryan (@missy_ryan) <a href="https://twitter.com/missy_ryan/status/1943298384762425494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The article suggested that Hegseth was so driven to remove &#8220;woke&#8221; culture from the military that he was willing to undo years of &#8220;progress&#8221; that had ultimately led to women serving in combat roles.
Wilson responded first by mocking the outlet for apparently updating the article with a new headline, and suggested that its first effort had not been &#8220;woke&#8221; enough.
&#8220;.@TheAtlantic headline wasn&#8217;t woke enough so they changed it,&#8221; she posted, sharing screenshots of the original and the update, in side-by-side format.
The original headline read, &#8220;Will Pete Hegseth&#8217;s &#8216;War On Woke&#8217; Sideline Women?&#8221; — and the updated version read, &#8220;The Backdoor Way That Pete Hegseth Could Keep Women Out Of Combat.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAtlantic</a> headline wasn&#8217;t woke enough so they changed it. <a href="https://t.co/2gKhbWctoy">https://t.co/2gKhbWctoy</a> <a href="https://t.co/jL6xMhYD6j">pic.twitter.com/jL6xMhYD6j</a>
— Kingsley Wilson (@PressSecDOD) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSecDOD/status/1943336054389436886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In a follow-up post, Wilson noted that she had given the outlet a comment for the story — but that it had been selectively edited prior to publication.
&#8220;.@TheAtlantic also didn&#8217;t want to run my whole statement because it would have discredited their story,&#8221; she said, sharing the full statement: &#8216;Military standards across the board have largely been ignored by leadership of the past. Under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, the U.S. military is getting back to basics and restoring the warrior ethos. Our standards for combat arms positions will be elite, uniform, and sex neutral because the weight of a rucksack or a human being doesn&#8217;t care if you&#8217;re a man or a woman. We will not compromise our standards to satisfy quotas or an ideological agenda—this is common sense.'&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAtlantic</a> also didn&#8217;t want to run my whole statement because it would have discredited their story:
“Military standards across the board have largely been ignored by leadership of the past. Under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, the U.S. military is getting back to… <a href="https://t.co/6I2rK5CGqo">https://t.co/6I2rK5CGqo</a>
— Kingsley Wilson (@PressSecDOD) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSecDOD/status/1943336313417015519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The only part of Wilson&#8217;s statement that was used was her description of  to goal standards for combat positions: &#8220;elite, uniform, and sex neutral, because the weight of a rucksack or a human being doesn’t care if you’re a man or a woman.&#8221;

President Trump Visits Fort Bragg To Honor U.S. Forces

Defense Department Press Secretary Torches The Atlantic For Selectively Editing Statement

Combat

Media

Military

Pete Hegseth

Politics

The Atlantic

Women

The Pentagon agreed to purchase $400 million of preferred stock in MP Materials, which operates the only rare earth minerals mine in the United States, the company announced on Thursday.
The mine, located in Mountain Pass, California — 60 miles southwest of Las Vegas — extracts rare earth minerals that are vital for the U.S. military, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/10/pentagon-to-become-largest-shareholder-in-rare-earth-magnet-maker-mp-materials.html">reported</a>. The Defense Department&#8217;s move is part of the Trump administration&#8217;s plan to break its dependence on China for rare earths, a goal that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL1kagSsIk8">discussed</a> in April.
“This initiative marks a decisive action by the Trump administration to accelerate American supply chain independence,” <a href="https://investors.mpmaterials.com/investor-news/news-details/2025/MP-Materials-Announces-Transformational-Public-Private-Partnership-with-the-Department-of-Defense-to-Accelerate-U-S--Rare-Earth-Magnet-Independence/default.aspx">said</a> James Litinsky, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of MP Materials. “We are proud to enter into this transformational public-private partnership and are deeply grateful to President Trump, our partners at the Pentagon, and our employees, customers and stakeholders for their unwavering support and dedication.”
Rare earths are used to produce magnets that are incorporated into critical U.S. military weapons systems, including those for drones, submarines, and the F-35 fighter jet, CNBC reported. Shortly after taking office, Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-takes-immediate-action-to-increase-american-mineral-production/">signed</a> an executive order to ramp up American rare earth mining, bemoaning the fact that 70% of the United States&#8217; imports of rare earths come from China. Trump stated that he wants to make the United States “the leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals.”
China currently produces around 60% of the world&#8217;s rare earths and refines nearly 90%, <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/what-chinas-ban-rare-earths-processing-technology-exports-means">according</a> to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Rare earth minerals are also used to manufacture electronics, including smartphones and laptops, as well as electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies. After Trump levied tariffs on China, the communist country halted shipments of rare earth minerals to the United States. The administration <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-says-deal-related-trade-was-signed-with-china-wednesday-2025-06-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> late last month that it had reached an agreement with China to restart rare earth imports.
MP Materials&#8217; agreement with the Pentagon will result in the construction of the company&#8217;s &#8220;second domestic magnet manufacturing facility (the &#8217;10X Facility&#8217;) at a soon-to-be-chosen location to serve both defense and commercial customers.&#8221; The &#8220;10X Facility&#8221; is expected to be completed in 2028, which will boost MP Materials&#8217; manufacturing capacity to 10,000 metric tons, according to the company. The Pentagon&#8217;s agreement with MP Materials is for 10 years and establishes &#8220;a price floor commitment&#8221; to ensure that the company is protected from &#8220;non-market forces.&#8221;
Shares of MP Materials <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=mp+materials+stock&amp;rlz=1C5GCCM_en&amp;oq=mp+materials+stock&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDQgAEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgAEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgBEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyBwgCEAAYgAQyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyBwgIEAAYgAQyBwgJEAAYgATSAQgyOTIxajBqN6gCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">jumped</a> nearly 50% on Thursday, hitting $44 as of Thursday morning. The company&#8217;s all-time high was $56.54, reached on April 1, 2022.
News of the agreement comes shortly after Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-cotton-introduces-bill-to-break-chinas-monopoly-on-rare-earth-minerals-for-u-s-defense">introduced</a> a bill to expedite the extraction of rare earth elements in the United States, aiming to better protect America&#8217;s national security.
“Current environmental laws put our readiness to counter Communist China at risk and waste taxpayer dollars on projects that stall out and die on the vine,” Cotton <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-republican-moves-give-u-s-edge-china-harvesting-minerals-weapons-systems">told</a> Fox News Digital. “This bill will create jobs, better arm and prepare our soldiers, and spend taxpayer dollars more efficiently.”

Department of Defense

Defense Department Becomes Largest Shareholder Of Company That Owns America’s Lone Rare Earth Mine

Business

China

Donald Trump

Pentagon

rare earth minerals

With the signing of the Big Beautiful Bill in the rearview mirror, most media networks pivoted back to panicking over the tariffs that are set to &#8220;boomerang&#8221; back to the levels initially set by President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration by August 1 — but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took the opportunity to talk about where the Defense Department is headed under his leadership.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Hegseth spoke with the president&#8217;s daughter-in-law on &#8220;My View&#8221; with Lara Trump, and he addressed the controversy over the recent strike on Iranian nuclear targets — carried out by the United States Air Force — in addition to laying out some of his goals for the military in the coming months.
One of the key points Hegseth brought up was how he saw President Trump giving him free reign to do what was best for American service members.
&#8220;I wish everybody could have the opportunity to watch how President Trump operates. How he truly puts America first in EVERY scenario,&#8221; Hegseth explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> joined <a href="https://twitter.com/LaraLeaTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaraLeaTrump</a>
Sec. Hegseth: “I wish everybody could have the opportunity to watch how President Trump operates.
How he truly puts America first in EVERY scenario.” <a href="https://t.co/I4lIRXQ1n2">pic.twitter.com/I4lIRXQ1n2</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1941667228530651559?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As he has in previous statements, Hegseth addressed the military&#8217;s physical training standards, promising to deliver on his promise to raise the standards across the board. &#8220;We&#8217;re trying to set the standard and raise the standard,&#8221; Hegseth said, arguing that PT was &#8220;one of the most basic things&#8221; that the military did — and noted it didn&#8217;t matter whether the service members were male or female, their responsibilities would still be the same.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
OUR STANDARDS WILL BE HIGH. <a href="https://t.co/7NrjZpvsrg">pic.twitter.com/7NrjZpvsrg</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1941669472013520967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hegseth, a decorated Army National Guard veteran himself, jabbed at previous Defense Secretaries, many of whom were so far removed from the rank and file by the time they&#8217;d achieved that position that it often seemed they were out of touch with the troops they&#8217;d been charged with leading.
&#8220;It wasn&#8217;t that long ago I was in their shoes (our military), feeling like someone like the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the Army, feeling like they are so detached they can&#8217;t understand,&#8221; Hegseth said, explaining why he made a point of doing PT with the troops as he traveled from base to base around the world. &#8220;I&#8217;ve tried to close that gap.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> &#8220;It wasn&#8217;t that long ago I was in their shoes (our military), feeling like someone like the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the Army, feeling like they are so detached they can&#8217;t understand.
I&#8217;ve tried to close that gap.” <a href="https://t.co/kqWvjvlfjG">pic.twitter.com/kqWvjvlfjG</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1941672209367306579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump got a taste of what service members go through on a regular basis, joining the Defense Secretary in a PT session with the troops as well.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/LaraLeaTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaraLeaTrump</a> joined America&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> for PT <a href="https://t.co/QbfLT1tuIa">pic.twitter.com/QbfLT1tuIa</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1941672426686812411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hegseth took some of the time to talk about the recent strikes on Iran, saying that the overall success of Operation Midnight Hammer had shown &#8220;the skill and capabilities of the United States Military.&#8221;
&#8220;The rest of the world paid attention too,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Other countries noticed what America can do.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/LaraLeaTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaraLeaTrump</a> &#8220;Walk us through what you can of this mission (Operation Midnight Hammer) and why it was so significant.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> &#8220;It shows you the skill and capabilities of the United States Military&#8230;
The rest of the world paid attention to. Other countries noticed what… <a href="https://t.co/f4n8Il1Aj6">pic.twitter.com/f4n8Il1Aj6</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1941673876246716600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump asked Hegseth about the legacy media reports that had undercut the mission&#8217;s success, citing Iranian sources that had claimed the nuclear targets had not actually been destroyed.
&#8220;They are so deranged by President Trump (the fake news) they HAVE TO FIND A WAY to undermine him,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> on the legacy media reporting of Operation Midnight:
&#8220;They are so deranged by President Trump (the fake news) they HAVE TO FIND A WAY to undermine him.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/BhLC3vr3E5">pic.twitter.com/BhLC3vr3E5</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1941677809266491600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The overall message that Hegseth wanted to share was simple: President Donald Trump had American service members top of mind when he made decisions about what the military was going to do or how certain actions would be carried out.
&#8220;Watching President Trump make those decisions reveals again the core that everybody knows and loves about him. Which is that he puts America and Americans FIRST,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our warfighters can sleep at night knowing that their commander-in-chief has their back.
. <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> &#8220;Watching President Trump make those decisions reveals again the core that everybody knows and loves about him.
Which is that he puts America and Americans FIRST.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/c9NRjyMTfh">pic.twitter.com/c9NRjyMTfh</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1941675235176046798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As for his goals for the remainder of President Trump&#8217;s second term in office, Hegseth made it clear that he was keeping things simple: his plan, he told Trump, was to &#8220;keep going.&#8221;
&#8220;Driving change into institutions is a difficult thing to do,&#8221; he said, but noted that the military — across all branches — was already seeing a positive response to the changes in record-setting recruitment numbers. &#8220;There&#8217;s still resistance to change in certain places &#8230; Washington, D.C., can be very good at paying too much and taking too long. And if you have a businessman — which we do, as commander in chief — he has an expectation that we get it under cost and faster. So there&#8217;s a ton of work left to be done.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/LaraLeaTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaraLeaTrump</a> &#8220;What are your goals going forward over the next three and a half years?&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> &#8220;KEEP GOING.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/5vOvxooTtz">pic.twitter.com/5vOvxooTtz</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1941678271805968803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Defense Secretary Hegseth Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee

Spin Cycle: While Most Pivot Back To Tariffs, Pete Hegseth Gives Update On Defense Priorities

Lara Trump

Tariffs

Regular MSNBC guest Elie Mystal called on other countries to sanction the United States, claiming that especially after the American military carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, &#8220;we are the bad guys on the world stage.&#8221;
Mystal, who also serves as justice correspondent for The Nation, joined ex-MSNBC host Joy Reid on her new eponymous show to discuss the targeted strikes against Iran, and they both appeared to take the side of the world&#8217;s most prolific and eager state sponsor of terror.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Elie Mystal: &#8220;Our country is THE bad guy on the world stage. The world needs to stand against America. Sanction us.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/3OjPx52Ryn">pic.twitter.com/3OjPx52Ryn</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1940475418504843539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Joy, I’ve argued — and I don’t say this lightly — but our country needs to be sanctioned,&#8221; Mystal declared. &#8220;We are the bad guys on the world stage. We are a menace to not only free people everywhere, but we are a menace to peaceful people everywhere at this point.&#8221;
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&#8220;And I’m not even gonna say that we’ve only been a menace for the past three or four months, right? Like when does the international community decide that enough is enough?&#8221; Mystal continued. &#8220;I know we’re rich. I know we’ve got a lot of money. I know that people want to buy things from our country because we’re rich, or want to sell things to our country because we are rich. But at some point the international community has to stand up to us because we are a bad guy on the world stage, right? And so we should be sanctioned. We should be sanctioned and rebuked.&#8221;
Mystal has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/regular-msnbc-guest-all-laws-passed-before-1965-should-be-presumptively-unconstitutional">also claimed</a> in the past that all laws passed prior to 1965 — specifically, before the passage of the Voting Rights Act — should be considered &#8220;presumptively unconstitutional.&#8221;
&#8220;Before the 1965 Voting Rights Act, we were functionally an apartheid country. Not everybody who lived her could vote here,&#8221; Mystal told the hosts of ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View.&#8221; &#8220;So why should I give a **** about some law that some old white man passed in the 1920s?&#8221;
Just two months before President Donald Trump won his second term in the White House, Mystal argued on Reid&#8217;s now defunct MSNBC show that Trump only had a following because he&#8217;d rallied around supporters &#8220;just as despicable.&#8221;
&#8220;The reason why it doesn’t end his career is because his supporters are just as despicable, all right?” Mystal said. “Like Trump’s whole thing, he’s a narcissist, right? And so his whole thing is to have a complete lack of compassion and empathy for everybody else. It’s all about him. It’s all about him, him, him, me, me, me. He’s probably the least compassionate president we’ve had in 200 years since Andrew Jackson. And it works for him because his supporters are just as ungenerous, and have just as little compassion and empathy for others.&#8221;

American Violence And The Trump Insurgency: Malcolm Nance In Conversation With Elie Mystal

MSNBC Regular Wants Other Countries To Sanction U.S.: ‘We Are The Bad Guys’

MSNBC Regular Wants Other Countries To Sanction U.S.: 'We Are The Bad Guys'

Iran Airstrike

Joy Reid

MSNBC

Sanctions

The United States Air Force and Space Force announced that they had smashed through their 2025 recruiting goals three months ahead of schedule — following similar reports from both the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/less-woke-more-lethal-military-hits-major-milestones-under-trump-and-hegseth">Army</a> and the Navy several weeks earlier.
Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin shared the news in a post on X, saying, &#8220;People are lining up and signing up! I’m proud to announce the Air Force hit 100% of its Fiscal Year 2025 recruiting goal three months early. It proves when you have a winning team, people want to join!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
People are lining up and signing up! I’m proud to announce the Air Force hit 100% of its Fiscal Year 2025 recruiting goal three months early. It proves when you have a winning team, people want to join! <a href="https://t.co/BMoZU9Ozqo">https://t.co/BMoZU9Ozqo</a> <a href="https://t.co/WD6vgFojlZ">pic.twitter.com/WD6vgFojlZ</a>
— General David Allvin (@OfficialCSAF) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialCSAF/status/1939801309269696863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;When you have a winning team, people want to join!&#8221; Allvin said in an <a href="https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4230316/air-force-and-space-force-exceed-annual-recruiting-goals-demonstrating-american/">official statement</a>. &#8220;This is shown through the Air Force’s record recruitment, and I’m proud we’ve hit 100% of our Fiscal Year 2025 goal three months early. The Air Force invests in our Airmen and patriotic Americans ready to serve have noticed and are lining up and signing up. That’s evident with the largest number of Special Warfare candidates awaiting training on record and the throngs of recruits motivated to start basic military training. We’re thrilled to welcome these warriors into our Air Force!&#8221;
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Space Force Chief of Space Operations, General Chance Saltzman, touted his branch&#8217;s success as well, saying, &#8220;Proud to share the Space Force met our annual recruiting goal three months early! Americans are excited about our mission, and the caliber of talent stepping up to serve in our ranks is nothing short of inspiring. Semper Supra!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Proud to share the Space Force met our annual recruiting goal three months early! Americans are excited about our mission, and the caliber of talent stepping up to serve in our ranks is nothing short of inspiring. Semper Supra! <a href="https://t.co/VaCEWMIbHX">pic.twitter.com/VaCEWMIbHX</a>
— General Chance Saltzman (@SpaceForceCSO) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceForceCSO/status/1939755254003695921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I&#8217;m incredibly proud the Space Force reached our Fiscal Year 2025 recruiting goal a full three months ahead of schedule,&#8221; Saltzman added. &#8220;This is the sixth consecutive year we&#8217;ve reached our target and filled our ranks with high caliber patriots. It’s clear Americans are excited about the Space Force, and this achievement is a direct reflection of the talent our mission continues to attract.&#8221;
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also addressed the military-wide boom in recruitment, saying, &#8220;Mr. President, I think we&#8217;re controversial because we&#8217;re over the target. You inherited a demoralized military that couldn&#8217;t recruit, perceived as weak. There has been nothing short of a recruiting Renaissance.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: “Mr. President, I think we&#8217;re controversial because we&#8217;re over the target. You inherited a demoralized military that couldn&#8217;t recruit, perceived as weak. There has been nothing short of a recruiting Renaissance.”
<a href="https://t.co/88BrSig0fY">pic.twitter.com/88BrSig0fY</a>
— America (@america) <a href="https://twitter.com/america/status/1917615859008430154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Future 30,000-pound bomb reaches mile stone

Air Force And Space Force Smash Recruiting Goals Three Months Early: ‘Lining Up And Signing Up!’

Air Force And Space Force Smash Recruiting Goals Three Months Early: 'Lining Up And Signing Up!'

Air Force

U.S.

United States Space Force

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell ripped into legacy media on Sunday, accusing outlets of fueling the &#8220;Iranian propaganda machine&#8221; because they were so desperate to smear President Donald Trump that they were willing to accept any collateral damage that followed — even if the majority of the damage landed on American service members.
Parnell showcased a headline from The Washington Post that cast doubt on the success of the recent strikes carried out by American service members against Iranian nuclear sites — strikes that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump, backed by multiple intelligence sources, had declared to be unqualified successes.
&#8220;The mainstream media is engaging in a weaponized smear campaign against America &amp; our incredible troops. 
The Fake News are knowingly using incomplete, out-of-context &amp; flat-out false intelligence &#8216;assessments&#8217; to seemingly do the bidding of the Iranian propaganda machine,&#8221; Parnell posted along with a screenshot of The Washington Post&#8217;s story. &#8220;This isn’t journalism, it’s political activism.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The mainstream media is engaging in a weaponized smear campaign against America &amp; our incredible troops. 
The Fake News are knowingly using incomplete, out-of-context &amp; flat-out false intelligence “assessments” to seemingly do the bidding of the Iranian propaganda machine. 
This… <a href="https://t.co/fIAScWp4x7">pic.twitter.com/fIAScWp4x7</a>
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanParnellUSA/status/1939396327793963447?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The screenshot he shared read, &#8220;Breaking News: U.S. intelligence obtained private communication among Iranian officials, discussing this month&#8217;s military strikes on Iran&#8217;s nuclear program and remarking that the attack was less devastating than they expected.&#8221;
Defense Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/choose-your-word-hegseth-says-iranian-nuclear-facilities-were-obliterated-destroyed">Pete Hegseth</a> took a similar tone at the press conference he held late last week, sharing detailed information about the strikes and whether or not the intended targets had been &#8220;obliterated&#8221; before he turned on the media.
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&#8220;You, and I mean specifically you, the press corps, because you cheer against Trump so hard, like in your DNA and in your blood, to cheer against Trump. You want him not to be successful so bad, you have to cheer against the efficacy of the strikes,” Hegseth said. “You have to hope they were not effective. Let’s take half-truths, spun information, leaked information, and then spin it, spin it in every way we can to try to cause doubt and manipulate the public mind over whether or not our brave pilots were successful.&#8221;
&#8220;Time and time again, classified information is leaked or peddled for political purposes to try to make the president look bad. And what’s really happening is you’re undermining the success of incredible B-2 pilots and incredible F-35 pilots and incredible refuelers and incredible air defenders who accomplished their mission, set back a nuclear program in ways that other presidents would have dreamed,&#8221; he continued.

Republicans Hold Virtual 2020 National Convention

Pentagon Spox Rips Into Media’s ‘Weaponized Smear Campaign’ Against American Troops

Pentagon Spox Rips Into Media's 'Weaponized Smear Campaign' Against American Troops

Iran

Actor John Cusack abandoned all efforts at self-preservation when he declared that Iran &#8220;should get&#8221; a nuclear weapon and claimed that doing so would be &#8220;the only way&#8221; to truly keep the United States and Israel in check.
Cusack, who has often been critical of administrations run by both major political parties, claims first and foremost to be &#8220;anti-war&#8221; — a position he describes more as &#8220;pro-troops and pro-human&#8221; because he&#8217;d prefer to see all troops returned home and an end to the killing. Despite that position, he took to X on Friday to argue that the world&#8217;s largest state sponsor of terror should have access to the most dangerous weapon in existence — even though Iran has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/world/middleeast/israel-nuclear-iran-threat.html">called</a> for Israel to be &#8220;wiped off the map&#8221; and frequently uses &#8220;death to America&#8221; as a rallying cry.
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&#8220;Iran will surely rush to get a nuclear weapon — and they should get one — it’s the only way to deter US and Israel from bombing every country in Middle East,&#8221; Cusack posted just days after the United States military executed targeted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The American strikes, in combination with a series of attacks carried out by the Israel Defense Forces against military and nuclear targets in Iran, were all aimed at the same objective: preventing a rogue Islamist state from acquiring nuclear weapons. In response to the attacks, Iran fired missiles indiscriminately at civilian populations in Israel, attempting to overwhelm the Iron Dome&#8217;s defense capabilities – and, in some cases, succeeding.
Cusack&#8217;s commentary over the last several years has been blatantly anti-Israel. He has repeatedly claimed that the situation in Gaza amounts to a genocide, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/john-cusack-rejects-antisemitism-accusations-as-complete-lies/">denying</a> mass rape perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, who slaughtered 1,200 Israelies and sparked the ongoing war.
He also referred to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as &#8220;a murderous gangster&#8221; — but had no such words for the terrorists who entered Israeli homes, <a href="https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/sknpqcl5a">labeling</a> Hamas as a &#8220;charity organization&#8221; in past posts on X. He made no mention of the Israelis who remain hostage in Gaza, subjected to as yet unknown tortures at the hands of their Iranian-backed captors.
&#8220;Blind allegiance for Israel is alliance to a genocidal regeme — it’s a nation state — run [b]y a murderous gangster — not some fixed star,&#8221; he claimed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Blind allegiance for Israel is alliance to a genocidal regeme &#8211; it’s a nation state &#8211; run my a murderous gangster &#8211; not some fixed star.
— John Cusack (@johncusack) <a href="https://twitter.com/johncusack/status/1938807199683559544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Bernie Sanders Joins The Chicago Teachers Union Strike

‘It’s The Only Way’: Hollywood Weirdo Says Iran ‘Should Get’ Nuke, Use It To ‘Stop’ U.S. And Israel

Hollywood Weirdo Says Iran 'Should Get' Nuke, Use It To 'Stop' U.S. And Israel

Celebrities

Global Politics

Hollywood

Israel

Nuclear Weapons

When self-described Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral Democratic primary, critics on both sides of the aisle began to wake up to just how problematic his meteoric rise could be.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
The topic of conversation on many of the Sunday morning political shows — in addition to some conversation about Iran and the ongoing battle surrounding President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; — revolved around Mamdani, his history and proposed policies, and how mainstream Democrats who wanted to keep their House and Senate seats could go about responding to his win.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), for example, appeared to be uncomfortable when pressed on whether or not he intended to endorse Mamdani in the upcoming general election. It&#8217;s certainly possible that Jeffries hesitated because there may be three Democrats running — current Mayor Eric Adams, who won as a Democrat, has announced an independent bid for reelection; and disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), who lost to Mamdani in the primary, left the door wide open for a third party run. It&#8217;s also possible that Jeffries, who represents a district that is 11% Jewish, has concerns about Mamdani&#8217;s support for BDS — &#8220;Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions&#8221; — against Israel or his claim that, as mayor, he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York City.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host Jonathan Karl asked Jeffries to weigh in on Mamdani.
&#8220;I congratulated him on the campaign that he ran, a campaign that clearly was relentlessly focused on the high cost of living in New York City and the economy. He outworked, he out-communicated, and he out-organized the opposition, and that&#8217;s clearly why he was successful,&#8221; Jeffries said — but added that he didn&#8217;t know the Democratic Socialist well enough to make an endorsement.
&#8220;Well, our districts don&#8217;t overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him. And so that&#8217;s the next step in terms of this process to discuss his vision for moving the city forward and addressing the issues that are important to the communities that I represent,&#8221; he said, and called on Mamdani directly to &#8220;clarify&#8221; his position on Israel.
&#8220;Globalizing the Intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrasing,&#8221; Jeffries concluded. &#8220;He&#8217;s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward. With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.&#8221;
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries hesitated when pressed by <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> about endorsing Democratic New York City mayor contender Zohran Mamdani.
&#8220;I have never had a substantive conversation with him. That’s the next step in terms of this process.” <a href="https://t.co/XdRBpVxN5K">https://t.co/XdRBpVxN5K</a> <a href="https://t.co/hM0H4CywiC">pic.twitter.com/hM0H4CywiC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1939335443935281620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) was far more conciliatory toward Mamdani, arguing that Democrats should learn from the way he made his case on economic inequality — primarily by offering his voters things like rent freezes and &#8220;free&#8221; public transportation.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re a candidate who is laser-focused on bringing down costs, you&#8217;re hitting the right notes,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDeluzio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepDeluzio</a> on lessons Democrats should learn from Mamdani’s stunning win in New York: “If you&#8217;re a candidate who is laser-focused on bringing down costs, you&#8217;re hitting the right notes.”<a href="https://twitter.com/RepRileyMoore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepRileyMoore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ashleyrallison?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ashleyrallison</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssafarah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Alyssafarah</a> join <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> to discuss. <a href="https://t.co/20C2AJH1Ag">pic.twitter.com/20C2AJH1Ag</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1939329587076378705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Mamdani himself joined host Kristen Welker on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; where he doubled down on policy proposals that would shift the tax burden to &#8220;whiter&#8221; neighborhoods. When Welker pressed him on that, Mamdani claimed that he was simply &#8220;describing&#8221; the demographics as they were, not suggesting that white people should be taxed more.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not driven by race,&#8221; he claimed. &#8220;I&#8217;m just naming things as they are.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mamdani is unapologetic about language in his plan that would tax “whiter” neighborhoods at higher rates:
&#8220;It&#8217;s not driven by race….I&#8217;m just naming things as they are.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Dnrtij9BxH">pic.twitter.com/Dnrtij9BxH</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1939320642492661924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Given the fact that his tax plan also calls for higher taxes on top earners, Welker asked Mamdani whether he believed billionaires had a &#8220;right to exist.&#8221; Mamdani, laughing, said that he did not believe billionaires should exist &#8220;because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ZOHRAN MAMDANI: “I don&#8217;t think that we should have billionaires.” <a href="https://t.co/optpzkp28w">pic.twitter.com/optpzkp28w</a>
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1939351985079394555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker also pressed Mamdani on his apparent stance with regard to Israel, asking several times whether he&#8217;d condemn the phrase &#8220;globalize the intifada,&#8221; which she correctly identified as a call to violence against Jews — and while Mamdani insisted that those were not his chosen words, he did not outright condemn the phrase.
&#8220;Do you condemn that phrase, &#8216;Globalize the Intifada?'&#8221; Welker asked, and asked again a short time later when it was clear he was not answering: &#8220;But do you actually condemn it &#8230; which a lot of people hear as a call to violence against Jews?&#8221;
&#8220;For the people who &#8230; feel really concerned by that phrase, why not just condemn it?&#8221;
Mamdani said a lot of words in his response to Welker&#8217;s query, but none of them were, &#8220;Yes, of course, I condemn it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/kwelkernbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kwelkernbc</a> to Mamdani:
Do you condemn that phrase, Globalize the Intifada?
But do you actually condemn it..which a lot of people hear as a call to violence against Jews?
For the people who .. feel really concerned by that phrase, why not just condemn it?
Mamdani’s reply ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/eZuhMSEO0c">pic.twitter.com/eZuhMSEO0c</a>
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) <a href="https://twitter.com/jacobkornbluh/status/1939345375594443025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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So what&#8217;s to be done? Democratic strategist James Carville warned that Mamdani&#8217;s primary win signaled trouble for New York City, but still seemed hopeful that the &#8220;Communist lunatic&#8221; — that&#8217;s according to President Trump&#8221; — could still be stopped on his way to Gracie Mansion.
&#8220;There’s a lot of baseball left here. We’ve got a lot of baseball left to play,&#8221; he said.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Campaigns In Harlem

Spin Cycle: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Mamdani?

ABC News

CBS News

NBC News

New York City

Zohran Mamdani

The pilots who flew the B-2 bombers that attacked multiple Iran nuclear sites last weekend are coming to the White House, according to President Donald Trump.
During an interview on &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures,&#8221; anchor Maria Bartiromo asked Trump if he was going to &#8220;do something&#8221; for the &#8220;courageous&#8221; pilots after noting the president wants to &#8220;honor&#8221; them.
&#8220;Yes, they&#8217;re going to come to the White House. But what you said is right. These people flew 36 hours in a small space, a big plane, but a small spaces mostly occupied by bombs, and they flew so brilliantly,&#8221; Trump said.
He added, &#8220;They hit a target the size of this circle &#8230; a little target, they say half the size of a refrigerator door from 50,000 feet up in the air. Going at a rapid speed, because they&#8217;re going very fast when they&#8217;re over a pretty rough territory. And they hit it every single time. And then they knocked out two other sites aside from that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on the B-2 pilots: &#8220;They&#8217;re going to come to the White House &#8230; They hit a target the size of a circle — a little target, they say half the size of a refrigerator door, from 50,000 feet up in the air going at a rapid speed &#8230; And they hit it every single time.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/jhWxAuloR5">pic.twitter.com/jhWxAuloR5</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1939327592726691990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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For a mission dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, the B-2 bombers launched from the United States and refueled multiple times while in flight during the trip to Iranian airspace, Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/b-2-bombers-arrive-back-in-missouri-after-hammering-iranian-nuclear-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a news conference. As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/b-2-bombers-arrive-back-in-missouri-after-hammering-iranian-nuclear-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by The Daily Wire, they struck targets at Fordo and Natanz and Tomahawk missiles fired from a United States submarines hit Isfahan moments later. Following the attack, the B-2 bombers made a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/b-2-bombers-arrive-back-in-missouri-after-hammering-iranian-nuclear-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">return trip</a> to Missouri.
Trump, who says the strikes were necessary to prevent Tehran from achieving a nuclear weapon, deemed the attack a success.
&#8220;Those pilots went in there with those beautiful planes and the most sophisticated bombs anywhere in the world. Think of it, they can go 30 stories deep into granite. Who would think that&#8217;s even possible? And they did obliterate it, it turned out,&#8221; Trump told Bartiromo.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also praised the pilots and others involved in the operation.
&#8220;I want to recognize pilots who flew those bombers; who flew those fighters; who flew those refuelers: Warriors. I want to recognize the sailors, on those destroyers, in those subs. on those carriers: Warriors. All of them. I want to recognize our soldiers doing air defense, base defense, QRF: Warriors. All of them,” Hegseth said in a statement. &#8220;Every American involved in this operation performed flawlessly.&#8221;

B-2 Bomber

Pilots Of B-2 Bombers That Hit Iran Nuclear Sites Coming To White House, Trump Says

National Security

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Friday announced the Pentagon would rename a Navy ship from a gay icon to a World War II hero who gave his life to keep his ship operational during a major battle.
“I’m pleased to officially announce that the Department of the Navy is renaming the replenishment oil formally known as the USNS Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson,” Hegseth said. “We are taking the politics out of ship-naming; we’re not renaming the ship to anything political; this is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration.”
“Instead, we’re renaming the ship after a United States Navy Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, as it should be,” he continued. “People want to be proud of the ship they’re sailing in, and so we’re renaming it after a chief, a navy chief, that during the battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, Chief Watertender Peterson led a repair party on the U.S.S. Neosho. The ship was severely damaged by Japanese dive-bombers and the entire repair party was either killed or severely wounded. Peterson himself was gravely wounded, yet he managed to single-handedly close the bulkhead stop valves, thereby helping to keep the ship operational.”
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Peterson suffered third-degree burns to his face, shoulders, arms, and hands after his actions on May 7, 1942; he died on May 13 at the age of 42 and was buried at sea. Peterson and his wife had two sons.
“In performing his historic actions and heroic actions, Peterson received additional injuries, and burns, which tragically resulted in his death, but his spirit of self-sacrifice and concern for his crewmates was in keeping with the finest traditions of the Navy. And for his heroic actions, Oscar Peterson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. So I would like to officially welcome the USNS Oscar V. Peterson to the Navy’s Vessel Register,” Hegseth concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I am pleased to announce that the United States Navy is renaming the USNS Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson.
We are taking the politics out of ship naming. <a href="https://t.co/2ypwAQGdAl">pic.twitter.com/2ypwAQGdAl</a>
&mdash; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1938568563838886269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In July 2016, during the Obama administration, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced he would name John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oilers after prominent civil rights leaders, then named one after Harvey Milk, a gay San Francisco city supervisor who was assassinated along with San Francisco Democratic Mayor George Moscone in November 1978. “Milk’s naval service was utterly unremarkable,” National Review has <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/harvey-milk-is-undeserving-of-a-ship/">noted</a>.

Pete Hegseth – Dan Caine holds a joint press conference in DC

Hegseth Sinks Woke Symbolism: Ship Named After Gay Icon Renamed To Honor War Hero

Harvey Milk

Heroism

U.S. Navy

At a Thursday press conference with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s top general, Dan “Razin’” Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke of the emotional moment when American pilots returned home to their loved ones following the strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, recalling “flags flying and tears flowing.”
“When the crews went to work on Friday, they kissed their loved ones goodbye, not knowing when or if they would be home,” he stated. “Late on Saturday night, their families became aware of what was happening, and on Sunday, when those jets returned&#8230;their families were there. Flags flying and tears flowing.”
“I have chills, literally, talking about this,” he declared.
“The jets rejoined into a formation of four airplanes followed by a formation of three and came up overhead Whiteman (Air Force Base), proudly in a traffic pattern, pitching out to land, right over the base and landing to the incredible cheers of their families, who sacrifice and serve right alongside their family members. Like I said, there were a lot of flags and a lot of tears,” he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/thejointstaff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thejointstaff</a> &quot;Crews went to work on Friday; they kissed their loved ones goodbye, not knowing when or if they would be home.
Late on Saturday night, their families became aware of what was happening, and on Sunday, when those jets returned from Whiteman, their families were… <a href="https://t.co/xcA79ecLFR">pic.twitter.com/xcA79ecLFR</a>
&mdash; DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1938217713756778776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Last Sunday, Caine detailed how the strike was conducted, stating:
<blockquote>
At midnight Friday into Saturday morning a large B2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. As part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the west and into the Pacific as a decoy, a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa.
The main strike package comprised of seven B2 Spirit bombers, each with two crewmembers, proceeded quietly to the East with minimal communications. Throughout the 18-hour flight into the target area. the aircraft completed multiple inflight refuelings. Once over land, the B2‘s linked up with escort and support aircraft in a complex tightly-timed maneuver requiring exact synchronization across multiple platforms in a narrow piece of airspace, all done with minimal communication communications.
This type of integration is exactly what our joint force does better than anyone else in the world.
At approximately 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time last night and just prior to the strike package entering Iran, a U.S. submarine in the central command area of responsibility launched more than two dozen Tomahawk plane attack cruise missiles against key surface infrastructure targets at Esfahan. As the Operation Midnight Hammer strike package entered Iranian airspace, the U.S. employed several deception tactics, including decoys, as the fourth and fifth generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile threats.
</blockquote>
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/retained-the-element-of-surprise-trumps-top-general-gives-details-on-operation-midnight-hammer">&#8216;Retained The Element Of Surprise&#8217;: Trump&#8217;s Top General Gives Details On Operation Midnight Hammer</a>

‘Flags Flying…Tears Flowing’: Gen. ‘Razin’ Caine Honors Pilots’ Families After Heroic Iran Strike

Dan Caine

Pilots

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laid into a reporter who asked why he hadn&#8217;t specifically congratulated the female pilots who had been a part of the United States&#8217; recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities after they stated: &#8220;The early messages that you sent out only congratulated &#8216;the boys.'&#8221;
Hegseth, in the hours after the mission had been completed, touted the success of &#8220;our boys on those bombers&#8221; – and The New York Times, among others, complained that not all of those involved had been male.
Times Pentagon reporter John Ismay, most notably, wrote, &#8220;In the briefing, Hegseth referred to B-2 pilots as ‘our boys on those bombers,’ yet both men and women have been trained to fly them.&#8221;
When that topic came up during Thursday morning&#8217;s briefing, Hegseth bowed his head slightly, laughing, before responding.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> gave the PERFECT response when asked
&#8220;Why not acknowledge female pilots that participated, early messages congratulated the boys?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/BAqwj6bfdV">pic.twitter.com/BAqwj6bfdV</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1938223290931143052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Why not acknowledge the female pilots that also participated?&#8221; the reporter asked. &#8220;The early messages that you sent out only congratulated &#8216;the boys.'&#8221;
&#8220;So, when I say something like &#8216;our boys in bombers&#8217; — see, this is the kind of thing the press does,&#8221; Hegseth replied. &#8220;Of course, the Chairman mentioned a female bomber pilot. Fantastic. She&#8217;s fantastic. She&#8217;s a hero. I want more female bomber pilots.&#8221;
&#8220;I hope the men and women of our country sign up to do such brave and audacious things,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But when you spin it as because I say &#8216;our boys in bombers&#8217; as a common phrase – I&#8217;ll keep saying things like that, whether they&#8217;re men or women. I&#8217;m very proud of that female pilot, just like I&#8217;m very proud of those male pilots.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t care if it&#8217;s a male or a female in the cockpit, and the American people don&#8217;t care,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;But it&#8217;s the obsession with race and gender in this department that&#8217;s changed priorities, and we don&#8217;t do that anymore. We don&#8217;t play your little games.&#8221;

‘We Don’t Play Your Little Games’: Hegseth Smokes Reporter Asking Why He Didn’t Mention Female Pilot

'We Don't Play Your Little Games': Hegseth Smokes Reporter Asking Why He Didn't Mention Female Pilot

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