The U.S. military blew up another suspected <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-lethal-kinetic-strike-hegseth-says-u-s-has-taken-out-another-drug-boat">drug boat</a> in the Eastern Pacific on Wednesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth revealed.
Hegseth shared a dramatic video of “yet another lethal kinetic strike” on X. Three “narco-terrorists” aboard the vessel were killed, according to the Secretary of War.
It’s the ninth such U.S. strike on a suspected drug smuggling vessel said to be bound for the U.S. in recent months. And the effort is expected to continue.
“These strikes will continue, day after day. These are not simply drug runners—these are narco-terrorists bringing death and destruction to our cities. These DTOs [Drug Trafficking Organizations] are the ‘Al Qaeda&#8217; of our hemisphere and will not escape justice. We will find them and kill them, until the threat to the American people is extinguished.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out yet another lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO). Yet again, the now-deceased terrorists were engaged in narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific.
The… <a href="https://t.co/PEaKmakivD">pic.twitter.com/PEaKmakivD</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1981167670989926902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Trump administration has focused its strikes on vessels traversing the Caribbean, while pressuring countries like Venezuela and Colombia to crack down on drug trafficking.
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Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has called the strikes “a military attack on civilians who were not at war and were not militarily threatening any country,” while accusing the Trump administration of “seeking a regime change” in the Latin American country.
The U.S. has authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela against the country’s socialist dictator, while tagging him as complicit in the drug trade.
“We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come through the sea, so you get to see that, but we’re gonna stop them by land also,” President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday.
“I think Venezuela’s feeling heat, but I think a lot of other countries are feeling heat too. We’re not going to let this country, our country, be ruined because other people want to drop their worst. They have given us their worst, they’ve loaded up our country with prisoners,” the president added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has also sparred with Trump over the counternarcotics operations, telling Univision Monday that it may be necessary to “get rid of” the U.S. president.
“Humanity has a first offramp, it is to choose to change Trump in various ways,” Petro told Univision’s Daniel Coronell.
“The easiest way may be through Trump himself. If not, get rid of Trump,” he said while snapping his fingers.
But Trump is only doubling down.
“He’s a thug and bad guy. He’s a guy that is making a lot of drugs,” Trump told The Daily Wire’s White House Correspondent, Mary Margaret Olohan Wednesday.
“He better watch it or we’ll take very serious action against him and his country,” he added.

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Another Drug Boat Blown To Pieces After Ninth U.S. Strike On ‘Narco-Terrorists’

Drug Boat Blown To Pieces After Ninth U.S. Strike On 'Narco-Terrorists'

Cocaine

Donald Trump

Pete Hegseth

The United States carried out its eighth strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat on Tuesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth revealed.
Dramatic video shows the long vessel buzzing through the Eastern Pacific before being hit by a &#8220;lethal, kinetic strike&#8221; and bursting into flames. Two smugglers were killed in the strike.
&#8220;The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, and carrying narcotics. There were two narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. Both terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike,&#8221; Hegseth wrote on X.
&#8220;Narco-terrorists intending to bring poison to our shores, will find no safe harbor anywhere in our hemisphere. Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness—only justice,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and conducting narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific.
The vessel was known by our intelligence to be… <a href="https://t.co/BayDhUZ4Ac">pic.twitter.com/BayDhUZ4Ac</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1981049943306752361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Trump administration&#8217;s strikes have mainly taken place in international waters near <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-administration-authorizes-covert-cia-action-in-venezuela?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=13&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Administration+Authorizes+Covert+CIA+Action+In+Venezuela">Venezuela</a>. The U.S. has also authorized a covert CIA operation in Venezuela against the country&#8217;s socialist dictator, Nicolás Maduro, while issuing an arrest warrant over his alleged role in drug trafficking in the region.
“We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come through the sea, so you get to see that, but we’re gonna stop them by land also,&#8221; President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday.
“I think Venezuela’s feeling heat, but I think a lot of other countries are feeling heat too. We’re not going to let this country, our country, be ruined because other people want to drop their worst. They have given us their worst, they’ve loaded up our country with prisoners,&#8221; the president added.
Maduro has called the strikes “a military attack on civilians who were not at war and were not militarily threatening any country,” while accusing the Trump administration of “seeking a regime change” in Venezuela.
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‘A Lethal, Kinetic Strike’: Hegseth Says U.S. Has Taken Out Another Drug Boat

Drugs

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Sunday that the U.S. military took out a drug-smuggling boat he said was connected to a Colombian terrorist group. 
According to Hegseth, the Department of War on Friday conducted a lethal kinetic strike targeting a vessel linked to the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The ELN, also known as the National Liberation Army, is an insurgent group that clashes with the Colombian government. 
“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route, and was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics,” Hegseth said. “There were three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike—which was conducted in international waters. All three terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
On October 17th, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a Designated Terrorist Organization, that was operating in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.
The… <a href="https://t.co/1v7oR879LC">pic.twitter.com/1v7oR879LC</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1979930208472912048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“These cartels are the Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere, using violence, murder and terrorism to impose their will, threaten our national security and poison our people. The United States military will treat these organizations like the terrorists they are—they will be hunted, and killed, just like Al Qaeda,” Hegseth added. 
Earlier this month, Hegseth set up a new counter-narcotics task force meant to target drug cartels operating in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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The ELN is one of the “one of the most powerful insurgent groups in Colombia,” <a href="https://www.dni.gov/nctc/terrorist_groups/eln.html">according</a> to the National Counterterrorism Center, which is staffed with personnel from various federal intelligence agencies. With around 2,500 fighters, the group aims to control portions of Colombia where drugs are produced through armed assaults, assassinations, extortion operations, and hostage-takings. 
The strike comes as President Donald Trump has been placing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-puts-colombian-president-on-notice-over-drug-production-close-up-these-killing-fields?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Puts+Colombian+President+On+Notice+Over+Drug+Production%3A+‘Close+Up+These+Killing+Fields’">increased pressure</a> on Colombian authorities to crack down on drug trafficking. Trump announced over the weekend that he would be cutting off foreign aid to the South American country. 
“They don&#8217;t have a fight against drugs. They make drugs. They refine drugs. They make cocaine. They have cocaine factories. They have no fight against drugs. And I&#8217;m stopping all payments to Colombia because they don&#8217;t have anything to do with their fight against drugs,” Trump said Sunday night. “They are a drug manufacturing machine, Colombia, and we&#8217;re not going to be part of it.”

President Trump Holds Cabinet Meeting At The White House

U.S. Takes Out Narco-Terror Boat As Trump Yanks Aid To Colombia

Colombia

Department of War

Drug Cartels

Politics

Terrorism

The Pentagon has come out against a new Netflix series aimed at promoting LGBT themes. “Boots,” based on a memoir titled &#8220;The Pink Marine,&#8221; is <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81427990">about</a> a gay “bullied teen” who “impulsively” joins the U.S. Marine Corps and “finds new purpose — and unexpected brotherhood — with his motley team of fellow recruits.”
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson released a statement on the series, saying a person’s sexuality is not relevant in this administration’s effort to strengthen our military.
&#8220;Under President Trump and Secretary [Pete] Hegseth, the U.S. military is getting back to restoring the warrior ethos. Our standards across the board are 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, a woman, gay, or straight,&#8221; a statement given to Entertainment Weekly <a href="https://ew.com/pentagon-slams-netflix-gay-military-drama-boots-11831105">said</a>.
Kingsley confirmed that officials &#8220;will not compromise our standards to satisfy an ideological agenda, unlike Netflix whose leadership consistently produces and feeds woke garbage to their audience and children.&#8221;
Hegseth made waves during a September speech to his top military leaders after sharing new directives for the War Department, including the news that every military branch will ensure that requirements for combat positions return to “the highest male standard.”
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“This job is life or death,” he said at the time, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-are-done-with-that-sht-trump-hegseth-demand-excellence-from-military-brass?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98We+Are+Done+With+That+Sh*t%E2%80%99%3A+Trump%2C+Hegseth+Demand+Excellence+From+Military+Brass">reported</a>. “Standards must be met … it’s common sense and core to who we are and what we do.”
Hegseth also noted that the military would no longer focus on ideology-driven initiatives left over from the Biden years, noting that their department is “done with that s***” and there will be no more “identity months, DEI offices, [and] dudes in dresses.”
“Boots,” which stars Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga, premiered October 9 and has been ranking in Netflix’s top 10 viewed charts ever since. The series is critical of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy from the 90s that required recruits to keep their sexual identity secret.

Miles Hezier

‘Woke Garbage’: Pentagon Blasts New Netflix Series About Gay Marine

Entertainment

LGBT

Marines

Military

Netflix

Social Issues

Television

U.S.

Multiple people reportedly survived a U.S. strike on Thursday that targeted a boat carrying suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
An American official <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-military-drone-strike-caribbean-leaves-survivors-official-confirms">told</a> Fox News that there were two to three survivors after the U.S. carried out a strike targeting a “big” drug boat that was partially submerged under water. A search and rescue helicopter was sent out to the site of the strike in international waters, according to Fox News. Reuters first <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-carries-out-new-strike-caribbean-there-are-survivors-us-official-says-2025-10-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> news of the survivors.
No other details on the strike were immediately available.
The Trump administration has ordered at least five strikes targeting suspected drug traffickers, but the others have left no known survivors. At least 27 suspected drug traffickers have been killed in the previous strikes, according to U.S. officials. 
Thursday’s attack was the second this week, following another strike <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-the-united-states-took-out-another-narcoterrorist-boat?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=13&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+The+United+States+Took+Out+Another+‘Narcoterrorist’+Boat">announced</a> by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
“Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — just off the Coast of Venezuela,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO route,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike. No U.S. Forces were harmed. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!”
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Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1976746496830959965">announced</a> that he had established a new counter-narcotics task force that was directed to “crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe.” 
“The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold,” Hegseth warned. 
The strikes have been opposed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who claims the Trump administration is targeting civilians. Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct lethal operations in Venezuela, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/us-strikes-cartel-boat-are-survivors-rcna238104">claiming</a> that President Nicolás Maduro has “emptied” his prisons into the United States and that “a lot of drugs are coming” from Venezuela.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-congress-u-s-in-armed-conflict-with-terrorist-drug-cartels">has told</a> Congress that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels that he has designated as terrorist organizations. That came after the State Department classified violent gangs like Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations.

MixCollage-17-Oct-2025-07-16-AM-6039

U.S. Strike Targeting Suspected Drug Traffickers Leaves Survivors: Report

Venezuela

The plane carrying United States War Secretary Pete Hegseth diverted to the United Kingdom on Wednesday, making an emergency landing, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed.
Hegseth was returning to the United States from a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, with other NATO defense ministers when the plane made the “unscheduled landing.” Parnell shared the news in a post on X, making it clear that the situation was related to an equipment failure rather than anything more complicated, and said everyone on board was safe.
“On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe,” he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including…
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanParnellASW/status/1978523799349035408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“All good. Thank God. Continue mission!” Hegseth posted shortly afterward.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
All good. Thank God. Continue mission! <a href="https://t.co/kCMmfOvHLX">https://t.co/kCMmfOvHLX</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1978527712764363087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Early reports on the situation came from freelance journalist Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) and offered additional details.
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“The aircraft carrying Secretary Hegseth left Belgium and later declared an emergency (#7700) turning around over the Atlantic, heading back to the UK,” Leyden posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The aircraft carrying Secretary Hegseth left Belgium and later declared an emergency (#7700) turning around over the Atlantic, heading back to the UK. <a href="https://t.co/yd6AezOkRj">https://t.co/yd6AezOkRj</a> <a href="https://t.co/E3jZpdNkoF">pic.twitter.com/E3jZpdNkoF</a>
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) <a href="https://twitter.com/PenguinSix/status/1978515666987561259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Leyden followed that with a report stating that Hegseth’s plane — and one other that had also diverted — landed a short time later at RAF Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force station near Suffolk, England.
“Secretary Hegseth’s SAM 153 aircraft has landed at RAF Mildenhall. A C-17 backup aircraft that accompanied him to Belgium also diverted to Mildenhall and will likely pick him up and bring him back to the USA,” he posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Secretary Hegseth&#8217;s SAM 153 aircraft has landed at RAF Mildenhall. A C-17 backup aircraft that accompanied him to Belgium also diverted to Mildenhall and will likely pick him up and bring him back to the USA. <a href="https://t.co/jHha4OBKPh">pic.twitter.com/jHha4OBKPh</a>
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) <a href="https://twitter.com/PenguinSix/status/1978523906752352631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Plane Carrying War Secretary Pete Hegseth Makes Emergency Landing In U.K.

Plane Carrying U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth Diverts To U.K. For Emergency Landing

Air Travel

Global Politics

United Kingdom

War Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed several media outlets on Monday after they refused to sign off on the Pentagon&#8217;s new press policy — which they say violates the First Amendment and Hegseth says will put the Pentagon in line with the policy governing press on every other U.S. military installation.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/department-of-war-implements-new-guidelines-for-media-access-at-the-pentagon">new policy</a> was detailed in a memo in late May, and said in part, &#8220;All members of the press issued a Pentagon Facility Alternate Credential (PFAC), will be required to read and sign a new in–brief form outlining information security requirements, the new physical control measures, and Department of War expectations of their compliance with safety and security requirements.&#8221;
But several outlets have taken issue with the policy, and several have made it clear that their journalists will not sign the requisite forms.
Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray issued a statement on Monday saying, &#8220;Journalists from The Washington Post will not be signing the Pentagon&#8217;s new press access policy. The proposed restrictions undercut First Amendment protections by placing unnecessary constraints on gathering and publishing information. We will continue to vigorously and fairly report on the policies and positions of the Pentagon and officials across the government.&#8221;
Hegseth responded with a waving hand emoji.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
👋 <a href="https://t.co/JhA7EutLqL">https://t.co/JhA7EutLqL</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1977805421332349055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor in Chief of The Atlantic, offered a similar statement: &#8220;The Atlantic&#8217;s journalists will not sign the Pentagon&#8217;s press policy. We fundamentally oppose the restrictions that the Trump administration is imposing on journalists who are reporting on matters of defense and national security. The requirements violate our First Amendment rights, and the rights of Americans who seek to know how taxpayer-funded military resources and personnel are being deployed. We will [continue] to cover matters of defense, war, and national security independently and fairly.&#8221;
Again, Hegseth responded with a waving hand.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
👋 <a href="https://t.co/kBdhMyxrnB">https://t.co/kBdhMyxrnB</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1977806544252395858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The New York Times also issued a statement through Washington Bureau Chief Richard Stevenson: &#8220;Journalists from The New York Times will not sign the Pentagon&#8217;s revised press pass policy, which threatens to punish them for ordinary news gathering protected by the First Amendment. Since the policy was first announced, we have expressed concerns that it constrains how journalists can report on the U.S. military, which is funded by nearly $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars annually. The public has a right to know how the government and the military are operating. The Times is dedicated to pursuing the public interest through deep, fair reporting and an unwavering pursuit of the facts.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
👋 <a href="https://t.co/wnTQiHJZyC">https://t.co/wnTQiHJZyC</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1977808951338307907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hegseth followed those posts with a brief explanation, saying, &#8220;Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right. So, here is @DeptofWar press credentialing FOR DUMMIES: Press no longer roams free; Press must wear visible badge; Credentialed press no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts. DONE. Pentagon now has same rules as every U.S military installation.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right. So, here is <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofWar</a> press credentialing FOR DUMMIES:
✅ Press no longer roams free
✅ Press must wear visible badge
✅ Credentialed press no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts
DONE. Pentagon now has same rules as every…
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1977828217315549301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A number of other outlets — including a few that skew to the political Right — have made it clear that they are not on board with the policy either, citing some of the same concerns.
<a href="https://x.com/erikwemple/status/1977813801513992199?s=46&amp;t=5nB3R1hthzMlYMrXjZyN8Q">Newsmax</a> issued a statement that read, “Newsmax has no plans to sign the letter. We are working in conjunction with other media outlets to resolve the situation. We believe the requirements are unnecessary and onerous and hope that the Pentagon will review the matter further.”
The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Examiner, CNN, The Associated Press, and The Guardian all <a href="https://x.com/rt_com/status/1977868828781473868?s=46&amp;t=5nB3R1hthzMlYMrXjZyN8Q">followed suit</a>.

Hegseth Dismisses Media Outlets That Won’t Sign Off On Pentagon Press Policy

Media

Military Bases

A &#8220;small group&#8221; of the 200 Texas National Guard troops deployed to Illinois was reportedly sent home after a photo of several heavyset guardsmen arriving in the state sparked viral criticism over fitness standards.
The Texas Military Department said that an unspecified number were not &#8220;in compliance&#8221; with its &#8220;validation process,&#8221; Task &amp; Purpose <a href="https://taskandpurpose.com/news/texas-national-guard-chicago-standards/">reported</a>. A photo taken by an Associated Press photographer and published by ABC News last week showed the larger-bodied National Guard members.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Members of the Texas National Guard have arrived in Illinois, according to sources familiar with their whereabouts and video taken of them at an Army Reserve training facility in a Chicago suburb.
Read more: <a href="https://t.co/AkmU3diD97">https://t.co/AkmU3diD97</a> <a href="https://t.co/chTjQ1TrFY">pic.twitter.com/chTjQ1TrFY</a>
— ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1975648844693074010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“In less than 24 hours, Texas National Guardsmen mobilized for the Federal Protection Mission,” a spokesperson told Task &amp; Purpose by email this weekend. “The speed of the response necessitated a concurrent validation process, during which we identified a small group of service members who were not in compliance and have been replaced.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded to the Task &amp; Purpose article on social media, writing, &#8220;Standards are back at The [Department of War].&#8221; Since taking over at what was previously known as the Defense Department, Hegseth has gone on a fitness blitz, urging military leaders and troops to uphold strict standards, telling military leaders last month that it&#8217;s &#8220;tiring&#8221; to &#8220;see fat troops&#8221; and &#8220;it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals.&#8221;
The National Guard Bureau, which operates within the War Department, released a <a href="https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Press-Releases/Article/4322684/ngb-statement-on-fitness-standards-for-mobilization/#:~:text=When%20mobilizing%20for%20active%20duty,standards%20will%20take%20their%20places.">statement</a> after the photo went viral, emphasizing that troops “are required to meet service-specific height, weight and physical fitness standards at all times.”
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&#8220;When mobilizing for active duty, members go through a validation process to ensure they meet those requirements,” the bureau added. “On the rare occasions when members are found not in compliance, they will not go on mission. They will be returned to their home station, and replacements who do meet standards will take their places.”
Social media users poked fun at the troops shown in the AP photo. One X user <a href="https://x.com/sportsdummie/status/1975653450810859930">wrote</a>, &#8220;Meal Team 6 reporting for duty,&#8221; while another person <a href="https://x.com/homemade_jorts/status/1975670929314529690">said</a>, &#8220;Guess they missed @PeteHegseth memo about weight.&#8221;
The <a href="https://nationalguard.com/basic-combat-training/army-combat-fitness-test">Army Fitness Test</a>, which National Guard troops are required to pass, &#8220;consists of six events that assess strength and endurance, improving readiness and preventing injuries.&#8221; Troops are required to take the test at least once a year.
The Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-deploys-national-guard-to-chicago-as-pritzker-melts-down-over-invasion">deployed</a> around 300 National Guard troops to Illinois as the president seeks to crack down on illegal immigration and violent crime in the Chicago area. The Trump administration, however, has been <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/appeals-court-blocks-trump-deploy-national-guard-illinois-rcna237065">blocked</a> by an appeals court from deploying those troops to the streets.

US-NEWS-TEXAS-NATIONAL-GUARD-DEPLOYMENT-TB

Texas National Guard Trims The Fat – Literally – After Viral Photo Sparks Fitness Concerns

National Guard

Texas

Trump Administration

U.S. Military

President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he had found a way to make sure that American service members would be paid on October 15th, in spite of the Democrat-driven government shutdown.
Trump made the announcement via his Truth Social platform, saying that he had directed War Secretary Pete Hegseth to take steps to ensure that payment immediately.
“Chuck Schumer recently said, ‘Every day gets better’ during their Radical Left Shutdown. I DISAGREE!” Trump began.
“If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th,” he continued. “That is why I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th.”
Trump went on to say that he had already found a workaround and was pushing forward with it.
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“We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS,” he declared. “I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown.”
The president concluded with a call for Democrats to vote to reopen the government, saying, “The Radical Left Democrats should OPEN THE GOVERNMENT, and then we can work together to address Healthcare, and many other things that they want to destroy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
“President Trump delivers for the troops,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth added.
Hegseth also praised House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for making appearances across media outlets to talk about what was really going on.
&#8220;Unlike @TheDemocrats, this Administration will ensure that no military-dependent child goes without health care or medicine during the Democrat Government Shutdown,&#8221; Hegseth said.
“Kudos to the @SpeakerJohnson for blanketing the airwaves and giving Americans the facts about the shutdown,” he added. “Shame on Chuck Schumer for voting NO and preventing our brave troops from getting a paycheck.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Unlike <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDemocrats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheDemocrats</a>, this Administration will ensure that no military-dependent child goes without health care or medicine during the Democrat Government Shutdown.
Kudos to the <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> for blanketing the airwaves and giving Americans the facts about the shutdown. Shame… <a href="https://t.co/Pq1iloDs7h">https://t.co/Pq1iloDs7h</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1976998701437485208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CNBC host Joe Kernen addressed the shutdown with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) days earlier, arguing that Democrats were effectively trying to use a government shutdown to undo duly-passed legislation because they didn’t agree with it.

‘Get Our Troops Paid’: Trump Says He Won’t Let Military Suffer Due To Dem Shutdown

Executive

Government Shutdown

Another boat carrying suspected drug runners and their payload was blown to smithereens on Friday morning, under orders from President Donald Trump.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted a video of the strike against the suspected &#8220;narco-terrorists,&#8221; saying that U.S. intelligence &#8220;without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics.&#8221; It marks the fourth strike ordered by the president against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea.
&#8220;Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike, and no U.S. forces were harmed in the operation. The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics &#8211; headed to America to poison our people,&#8221; said Hegseth. &#8220;Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route. These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Earlier this morning, on President Trump&#8217;s orders, I directed a lethal, kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility. Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the… <a href="https://t.co/QpNPljFcGn">pic.twitter.com/QpNPljFcGn</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1974150886084485503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-deploys-forces-to-take-on-latin-american-drug-cartels-in-the-southern-caribbean">deployed</a> troops and military assets to the South Caribbean in August to take on “threats to U.S. national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region.” U.S. forces have now killed 21 suspected drug runners in four strikes against suspected &#8220;narco-terrorists.&#8221;
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The Trump administration told Congress earlier this week that the president has decided the United States is in an &#8220;armed conflict&#8221; with drug cartels and that his actions are in self-defense, as Democrats condemn the strikes. A White House spokeswoman <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/us/politics/trump-drug-cartels-war.html?smid=tw-share">told</a> The New York Times that “the president acted in line with the law of armed conflict to protect our country from those trying to bring deadly poison to our shores, and he is delivering on his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats from murdering more Americans.”
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has also condemned the U.S. action off his country&#8217;s coast, calling the strikes “a military attack on civilians who were not at war and were not militarily threatening any country.” He also accused the Trump administration of &#8220;seeking a regime change&#8221; in Venezuela. Maduro has a $50 million bounty on his head, which was placed by the U.S. government, citing his alleged ties to transnational gangs and drug cartels.

U.S. government – Unclassified

U.S. Takes Out Another Boat In Caribbean, Killing Four Suspected ‘Narco-Terrorists’

World

When Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told a room filled with top military leaders that it was time to raise their standards, “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin was “befuddled,” as she said later.
All across the country, conservatives and other normies were thrilled to finally imagine our military adhering to the standards that make us the most formidable and respected superpower in the world.
Hegseth said combat troops will be held to “the highest male standard.”
“This job is life or death,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-are-done-with-that-sht-trump-hegseth-demand-excellence-from-military-brass">emphasized</a>. “Standards must be met … it’s common sense and core to who we are and what we do.”
But liberals, they don’t understand that concept. Rather than seeing Hegseth’s speech as a call to excellence, Hostin assumed the speech indicated some sort of punishment.
“I don’t understand how that was supposed to be an uplifting message for our military,” she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-view-hosts-cant-deduce-why-military-leaders-might-need-to-be-in-top-physical-shape">said</a> on “The View.”
That reaction says it all. Progressives and conservatives aren’t just on different sides of the political spectrum. They’re often speaking entirely different languages.
For Hostin, a word like “uplifting” means constant affirmation. It means telling people they’re perfect just as they are, just like it means telling men that they can become women and that losers are really winners.
Conservatives, on the other hand, understand that real encouragement isn’t about coddling feelings. It’s about calling people to something greater. To truly uplift someone is to tell them they are capable of raising higher, getting better, and being stronger. Challenge isn’t a dirty word; it’s a call to action.
* * * 
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Jeremy’s Razors were built to demand more: a sharper edge, a cleaner shave, and a reminder that excellence starts at the mirror. Because the man who holds himself to high standards doesn’t cut corners—he cuts clean.
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Sunny Hostin may never understand that. But conservatives do. Because deep down, we know that greatness comes from expecting more—of our leaders, our country, and even our shave.
Jeremy&#8217;s Razors shares common ownership with The Daily Wire.

Pete Hegseth Demands Excellence. ‘The View’ Misses The Point.

Jeremy's Razors

Sunny Hostin

The View

The Secretary of War and the President of the United States spoke before hundreds of top U.S. military leaders on Tuesday.
This event had been touted for a few days in advance. The idea was to have all the top U.S. military brass gather at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia. 
There was a lot of speculation about the meeting. Was it going to be an announcement about Ukraine? Or China? Or was it going to be about Venezuela?
It turns out, it was going to be a speech from Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, and a speech from the President of the United States, about recalibrating our military approach, particularly internally.
Pete Hegseth has spoken about this a lot over the past few years. I recorded an episode of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhVMY0AxZd0">Sunday Special</a> with Pete Hegseth about a year ago. He had a new book out, “The War on Warriors,” in which he wrote about wokeness in the military, lowered standards in the military, and the fact that more militaries around the world were not fearing us as much because we had implemented all of these left-wing ideologies within the military. This has legitimately been a big bugaboo of Hegseth’s for years.
Well, now he has the opportunity to change all of that because, of course, he sits atop the Department of War.
The event, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/09/30/hegseth-military-meeting-trump-generals/">The Washington Post</a>, was organized by Hegseth&#8217;s team at the Pentagon. He summoned generals and admirals from command posts throughout the world to Virginia.
General Dan Caine, Trump&#8217;s hand-selected Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told attendees in his opening comments that the event was an unprecedented opportunity, and an honor for assembled senior officers and their top enlisted advisers to hear directly from the military civilian leadership. 
Hegseth was going after wokeness in the military again, and he railed against what he called “Fat dudes and men in dresses.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2290-warfighters-hegseth-trump-launch-assault-on-woke-military"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-974957 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
So, optically, yes, I understand the Left being very, very upset about it. But it happens to be something that the American people agree with, along with the people who enlist in our military. Journalists around the nation are very, very upset about what Pete Hegseth did yesterday because they believe the military should be a place for social engineering, as opposed to a place for warfighters.
Well, Secretary Hegseth was a grunt. He&#8217;s a person who served in the trenches, and on the front lines. And that means he is significantly more in touch with the feelings of people who actually serve in the military, than certainly the people in the world of journalism — and truthfully, more than many of these sorts of political generals who have spent the last 40 years rising in the ranks.
Which means that recalibrating along those lines is actually not a bad thing at all.
As Secretary Hegseth <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/defense-secretary-hegseth-addresses-senior-military-leaders/666410">said yesterday</a>:
<blockquote>Frankly, it&#8217;s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it&#8217;s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It&#8217;s a bad look. It is bad. And it&#8217;s not who we are. So, whether you&#8217;re an Airborne Ranger or a “Chairborne Ranger,” a brand new private, or a four star general, you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass the PT test.</blockquote>
This, apparently, was very upsetting to folks. 
He also went after what he called “Dudes in dresses,” which was a specific reference to the fact that under the Biden administration, there were legitimate videos of troops doing drag as an attempt to drive people into the military. I can&#8217;t think of anything that would drive the types of young men who want to join the military away from the military more than men in drag.
Honestly, that does not seem like a recruiting pitch for the U.S. military. And you can see it in the numbers. The Biden administration was having a very, very difficult time fulfilling its recruiting quotas. From literally the minute Pete Hegseth was announced as Secretary of Defense, those numbers began to rise.
Hegseth then <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/defense-secretary-hegseth-addresses-senior-military-leaders/666410">said</a>: 
<blockquote>This administration has done a great deal from day one to remove the social justice, politically correct, and toxic ideological garbage that had infected our department, to rip out the politics. No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses, no more climate change worship. No more division, distraction, or gender delusions. No more debris. As I&#8217;ve said before and will say again, we are done with that sh**.</blockquote>
People are apparently angry about this. And there&#8217;s also a fair bit of gaslighting going on here. 
So the way that this works is that when the Left takes over an institution, they skew that institution. And then, when somebody who is not on the Left takes over the institution and says, “We&#8217;re going to unskew it,” the Left then says, “How dare you do this? How dare you politicize?”
They do this with so many institutions in American life. For example, take higher education, a domain once designed to actually create better American citizens, people who are supposed to be in touch with their civilization. They took an institution that was supposed to be at least titularly nonpartisan and made it highly partisan in favor of the Left.
And then people get into power who are not on the Left. And they say, &#8220;Let&#8217;s shift it back. Let&#8217;s shift it back toward the center.&#8221; And the Left says, “How dare you touch our hallowed institutions? How dare you attempt to change the underlying politics of that institution?”
The same thing in the military. There is an attempt by the Left to hijack the military and use it for a wide variety of social engineering causes, ranging from climate change to DEI to gender identity.
And now, when the Right takes over and says, “Hey, we&#8217;re not going to do any of that stuff, we&#8217;re actually going to go back to the status quo where the military was about winning wars,” the Left responds, “How dare you? How dare you politicize? How dare you intervene? How dare you get involved in politics?” This is an exercise in gaslighting.
The Left is perfectly willing to gut these institutions and wear their faces around like a mask from “The Silence of the Lambs.” But the minute the Right says, “Let&#8217;s restore those institutions to what they were before,” the Left then claims politicization.
It’s nonsense.

President Trump And Pete Hegseth Address U.S. Senior Military Leaders At Quantico

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