The U.S. Central Command on Wednesday “strongly” urged Hamas to end its violence in Gaza after President Donald Trump vowed that the terror group would be disarmed.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, issued a <a href="https://x.com/centcom/status/1978456188976042321?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q">statement</a> calling on Hamas to take advantage of “an historic opportunity for peace … by fully standing down, strictly adhering to Trump’s 20-point peace plan, and disarming without delay.” This week, Hamas terrorists have ramped up their efforts to reassert control in the Gaza Strip after Israeli forces pulled out of most areas in Gaza in accordance with the ceasefire and hostage agreement.
At least seven men, whom Hamas accused of conspiring with Israel, were publicly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terror-reigns-hamas-publicly-executes-gazans-after-israeli-troop-pullback">executed</a> in Gaza on Monday. Hamas has also been fighting with rival groups in Gaza in recent days.
“We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza — in both Hamas-held parts of Gaza and those secured by the IDF behind the Yellow Line,” Admiral Cooper said.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a> 
“We have conveyed our concerns to the mediators who agreed to work with us to enforce the peace and protect innocent Gaza civilians,” Cooper added. “We remain highly optimistic for the future of peace in the region.”
President Trump said on Tuesday that Hamas has already promised to disarm, a major demand in his 20-point peace plan.
“They’re going to disarm because they said they were going to disarm,” Trump said. “And if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.”
“They know I’m not playing games,” the president added.
Media reports published last week claimed that the United States was deploying 200 troops to Israel to watch over the ceasefire, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/1976423398164332631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1976423398164332631%7Ctwgr%5E996a5875757fb3dbf5844d44607057c57034a84e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livenowfox.com%2Fnews%2Fus-sending-200-troops-israel-gaza-ceasefire-deal">said</a> those reports were “NOT true and taken out of context.” Leavitt added, “To be clear: up to 200 U.S. personnel, who are already stationed at CENTCOM, will be tasked with monitoring the peace agreement in Israel, and they will work with other international forces on the ground.” CENTCOM’s area of responsibility spans across 21 nations in the Middle East.
<div id="attachment_986277" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-986277" class="wp-image-986277 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2204816687.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="558" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2204816687.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2204816687-300x163.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2204816687-768x419.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />March 15, 2025: U.S. aircrafts taking off from aircraft carrier as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces carry out precision airstrikes kicking against Iranian-backed Houthi targets across Yemen, according to CENTCOM. (Photo by CENTCOM/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)</div>
Vice President JD Vance <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jd-vance-there-will-be-no-u-s-boots-on-the-ground-in-israel-gaza">said</a> earlier this week that the administration had no plans to put American troops on the ground in Gaza or Israel.
“We’re not planning to put boots on the ground. What we already have is a U.S. Central Command, we already have people in that region of the world,” Vance told NBC News on Sunday. “They’re going to monitor the terms of the ceasefire. They’re going to monitor, ensure the humanitarian aid is flowing.”
The first phase of Trump’s peace plan, which went into effect on Monday, did not include Hamas laying down its weapons, nor have the terrorists agreed to give up control of the Gaza Strip, another major point of the president’s plan. Trump, however, remains optimistic that the terror group will agree to those stipulations in the future.
Israel has already accused Hamas of failing to follow through on its promise to hand over all of the remaining hostages. While the 20 remaining living hostages were handed over earlier this week, Israel is still waiting to receive the remains of dozens of hostages who died in Hamas captivity.
The Israel Defense Forces <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idf-hamas-undermines-ceasefire-deal-after-handing-over-wrong-body?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=IDF%3A+Hamas+Undermines+Ceasefire+Deal+After+Handing+Over+Wrong+Body">said</a> on Wednesday that one of the four bodies it has received so far “does not match any of the hostages.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called on Hamas to uphold its end of the agreement and return all 28 deceased hostages. Netanyahu’s office said that Israel “will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we return all of the fallen hostages, every last one of them.”

Hamas

U.S. Military Warns Hamas To End Gaza Violence After Trump Vows To ‘Disarm’ Terrorist Group

Donald Trump

Gaza

Israel

Military

Politics

Trump Administration

U.S. Military

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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“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.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a> 
&#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

Department of War

National Guard

Pete Hegseth

Texas

Under War Secretary Pete Hegseth, America’s military is rediscovering its true mission of forging warriors, not social justice activists. He’s already purged divisive DEI and race-based admissions policies from our elite service academies, but one seemingly benign obstacle remains: academic accreditation. And like the wall on the training course, it must be overcome.
From West Point to the Air Force Academy, all five military service academies are accredited by a handful of private, unaccountable agencies with enormous influence over higher education. Unless the academies adopt these gatekeepers’ standards, their degrees may not be recognized when graduates pursue advanced degrees at civilian universities. That gives a handful of unelected, pro-DEI activists control over curriculum at schools founded to produce warfighters, including my alma mater, West Point.
That’s a serious problem.
West Point, established by Thomas Jefferson in 1802, along with the Naval Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy, are all accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which <a href="https://www.msche.org/standards/fourteenth-edition/">lists</a> “reflection on diversity, equity, and inclusion” among its “guiding principles.” That includes applying DEI to admissions targets, student assessments, and curriculum design. 
Never mind that the Supreme Court ruled race-based admissions unconstitutional in 2023, the commission insists that DEI reflection should “address disparate impacts on an increasingly diverse student population if discovered.” Its leadership reflects this far-left agenda, including commission president Heather Perfetti, a <a href="https://www.msche.org/president/">DEI champion</a>, and board members like Valerie Lehr, a professor of “LGBTQ politics” and author of Queer Family Values.
The Coast Guard Academy is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, whose standards also reference DEI <a href="https://www.neche.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Standards-for-Accreditation-2021.pdf">at least five times</a>. While the commission is reportedly considering ditching DEI in October, it remains under the control of a <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/01/10/169037364/300-college-presidents-call-for-guns-to-be-banned-on-campuses-other-steps">gun control extremist</a> who urged the Obama administration to ban “military-style assault weapons” and has praised the children of illegal aliens as embodiments of “<a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/opinion/opinion-dreamer-collegians-embody-america-promise/2PfaNiACsrc1EKNVTsWCNL/">America’s promise</a>.”
The same holds true for many of the military’s <a href="https://www.restorethemilitary.com/professional-military-education/">Professional Military Education institutions</a>, full of leftist ideologues and subject to the same diversity accreditation mandates.
It’s bad enough that these commissions push radical ideologies on civilian universities. But America cannot afford to waste resources indoctrinating the next generation of military officers, especially as <a href="https://restoration-news.com/is-america-prepared-for-a-war-with-china">China poses a rising threat</a>.
The military’s biggest problem isn’t meeting diversity quotas; it’s restoring a warrior ethos to military culture. For decades, political mandates imposed by Democratic presidents undermined unit cohesion and combat readiness, while leaving the U.S. military dependent on foreign manufacturing to supply critical equipment. 
The organization I lead, Restoration of America, has laid out a blueprint for reenvisioning the military at <a href="https://www.restorethemilitary.com/">RestoretheMilitary.com</a>. It includes legislative solutions for reforming our service academies.
Fortunately, President Trump is turning things around. Under his direction, the War Department is reinstating physical fitness standards. He’s also removing woke senior officers, such as Merchant Marine Academy Superintendent Joanne Nunan, an <a href="https://restoration-news.com/exclusive-service-academy-s-woke-leadership-removed">anti-Christian bigot</a> he fired in June. In July, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll <a href="https://restoration-news.com/west-point-leadership-thumbs-its-nose-at-the-trump-administration">blocked</a> the West Point superintendent from hiring Biden’s “disinformation” czar to head the Social Studies Department.
These are major victories that should be celebrated, but we cannot rest on our laurels.
The next logical step is removing all outside influence over academy curricula by withdrawing the academies from these accreditors. The service academies should either be accredited by a new War Department accrediting body or accreditation should be eliminated altogether. Accreditation exists to prevent fraudsters from issuing worthless degrees from a phony “college,” and to ensure that students know the basics.
West Point, Annapolis, and the others have nothing to prove. They’ve demonstrated their excellence on the battlefield, time and again. It’s time to let them make warriors, not quotas.
* * *
Doug Truax is a West Point graduate, former 4th Infantry Division Army Captain, Ranger, and successful entrepreneur. He is the volunteer, unpaid founder, and CEO of <a href="http://www.restorationofamerica.com">Restoration of America</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>

Washington DC Celebrates Army’s 250th Anniversary With Parade And Festivities

Social Justice Warriors Shouldn’t Control West Point

Social Justice Warriors Shouldn't Control West Point

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Leftists

LGBTQ

Opinion

Social Justice

West Point

Woke Culture

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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
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’

Drug Cartels

Global Politics

Venezuela

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.
* * * 
At Jeremy’s Razors, we believe in high standards—not just for our blades, but for the men who use them. Shaving isn’t a chore; it’s the first standard you set for yourself every morning. Too many men have been told to settle for weak razors and weaker expectations. That’s not uplifting—it’s lowering the bar.
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.
Right now, you can raise your standard for just $7.99 with our Precision 5 Special Offer. Step up to the best woke-free shave at<a href="https://jeremysrazors.com/collections/legend/products/precision-5-special-offer"> jeremysrazors.com</a>.
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

A Texas Republican said that Democrats are holding the paychecks of millions of military service members “hostage” in order to advance their far-left agenda. 
Congressman Ronny Jackson told The Daily Wire that the Democrats’ opposition to a short-term spending plan backed by Republicans was causing real-world harm to those tasked with protecting America. As the shutdown continues, approximately two million military personnel are expected to continue working without pay — even as members of Congress continue to receive their paychecks. 
“Democrats are shutting down the government and holding our troops’ paychecks hostage, punishing the very men and women who put their lives on the line to protect America,” Jackson said. “It is both ridiculous and unsurprising that Democrats would once again put their radical agenda ahead of ensuring our servicemembers are properly taken care of.”
Jackson’s office highlighted how children in his own district, whose parents work at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita County, Texas, no longer have access to after-school programs. 
“For many families, these programs are essential support while parents serve,” Jackson’s office noted.
“Military personnel on active duty, including reserve component personnel on Federal active duty, will continue to report for duty and carry out assigned duties. This includes duty involving excepted and, to the extent they can be performed without incurring new obligations, non-excepted activities,” the Department of War’s shutdown contingency plan <a href="https://wjla.com/resources/pdf/79d6e679-134e-465a-ade4-dbb99d290dd9-CONTINGENCYPLANGUIDANCEFORCONTINUATIONOFOPERATIONSINTHEABSENCEOFAPPROPRIATIONS.pdf">reads</a>.
At the same time, nearly 400,000 civilian employees of the Department of War who perform “critical national security activities” are also expected to work without pay. Hundreds of thousands of other civilian employees for the department are currently furloughed. 
“The military cannot enter into new contracts or renew existing contracts, needlessly delaying the acquisition of critical capabilities for our warfighters,” Jackson’s office noted. 
Last month, the Republican-led House approved a bill that would have continued government funding for the next fiscal year at the same level as the previous fiscal year. That same bill stalled in the Senate after Democrats demanded around $1.5 trillion in new spending. 
The Trump administration has urged Republicans to take advantage of the shutdown to cut down on wasteful government spending and combat fraud. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought has been tasked with reviewing the sprawling federal bureaucracy to see where cuts may be possible.

2024 Republican National Convention: Day 2

Democrats Holding Military Paychecks ‘Hostage’ To Push ‘Radical Agenda,’ Congressman Says

federal funding

Government Shutdown

Ronny Jackson

President Donald Trump has “determined” that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels that he has designated as terrorist organizations, according to a memo to Congress. 
The memo reportedly sent this week said that the American military remained ready to eliminate drug smugglers and that the country was at a “critical point” requiring the use of force. It comes as the Trump administration has conducted multiple strikes on boats the president said were filled with narcoterrorists bound for the United States.
“The President determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States,” the memo <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-determined-us-armed-conflict-cartels-congress-notice-rcna235294">said</a>, according to NBC News. &#8220;In response, based upon the cumulative effects of these hostile acts against the citizens and interests of the United States and friendly foreign nations, the President determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations.&#8221;
Violent gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13 have all been <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-international-cartels">designated</a> as foreign terrorist organizations by the State Department. 
The memo <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/02/white-house-war-drug-smugglers-00592369?utm_content=politico/magazine/Politics&amp;utm_source=flipboard">added</a> that the administration remained “postured to carry out military operations as necessary to prevent further deaths or injury to American citizens by eliminating the threat.”
“The United States has now reached a critical point where we must use force in self-defense and defense of others against the ongoing attacks by these designated terrorist organizations,” the memo <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">said</a>. 
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
Last month, the Trump administration carried out a series of strikes on drug-running boats, the president said. The first, on September 2, targeted a vessel operated by Tren de Aragua that had departed Venezuela loaded with “a lot of drugs,” according to Trump.
Another strike was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-blows-up-another-boatful-of-narcoterrorists-we-are-hunting-you">conducted</a> on September 15 that killed three male drug traffickers operating a boat carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, according to the Department of War. 
The Trump administration has said the strikes are necessary to protect the country from dangerous drugs. 
“As we have said many times, 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,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said on the memo to Congress.

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

Trump To Congress: U.S. In ‘Armed Conflict’ With ‘Terrorist’ Drug Cartels

Congress

Executive

Tren De Aragua

With a government shutdown underway because Democrats are demanding $1.5 trillion in new spending, here are five brutal consequences of the stoppage.
Troops Protecting America Will Go Without Pay 
Thanks to the shutdown, members of the military working to protect America will go without pay until new funding is approved. Despite not getting paid, military personnel will still be expected to stay on duty and perform their required tasks. 
“Military personnel on active duty, including reserve component personnel on Federal active duty, will continue to report for duty and carry out assigned duties. This includes duty involving excepted and, to the extent they can be performed without incurring new obligations, non-excepted activities,” <a href="https://wjla.com/resources/pdf/79d6e679-134e-465a-ade4-dbb99d290dd9-CONTINGENCYPLANGUIDANCEFORCONTINUATIONOFOPERATIONSINTHEABSENCEOFAPPROPRIATIONS.pdf">according </a>to the Department of War’s shutdown contingency plan. 
Civilian employees of the military who are not needed in support roles will be furloughed while the shutdown continues. At the same time, other federal law enforcement officers, such as those working for the Department of Homeland Security, will also go without pay. 
“Our [Homeland Security] law enforcement officers will continue to work throughout the Democrats’ Shutdown to make sure our homeland is safe and secure. More than 200,000 of these patriots will go without pay,” <a href="https://x.com/Sec_Noem/status/1973229586910683546">said</a> Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “The Democrats will be forcing over 150,000 officers and nearly 50,000 members of the military—our frontline of defense—to continue protecting our nation without pay.”
<div id="attachment_979633" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-979633" class="size-full wp-image-979633" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237786142.jpg" alt="Members of the National Guard patrol near the US Capitol on the National Mall in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. National Guard troops deployed to Washington, DC for President Donald Trump's &quot;safe and beautiful mission&quot; are set to keep working in the city, without pay, if the US government shuts down over a funding dispute between the White House and congressional Democrats." width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237786142.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237786142-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237786142-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2237786142-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images.</div>
Law Enforcement Operations
The shutdown could stifle the work of certain federal law enforcement task forces cracking down on violent crime across the country, the National Association of Police Organizations <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-led-shutdown-will-put-law-enforcement-lives-on-the-line-without-pay-top-orgs-warn?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Democrat-Led+Shutdown+Will+Put+Law+Enforcement+%E2%80%98Lives+On+The+Line%E2%80%99+Without+Pay%2C+Top+Orgs+Warn">warned</a>. 
“Federal funding for task forces will stop flowing,” the organization warned. “Federal grants, resources, and supports for state and local law enforcement will stop, leaving vital public safety initiatives in the lurch.”
The organization, which represents 250,000 law enforcement agents, stated that law enforcement personnel should not be expected to put their lives on the line without adequate compensation.
“To have them risk their lives without pay undermines support for the work they are doing and increases the stresses and strains the job puts on them and their families,” the organization added. “We are calling on all lawmakers to do the right thing and enact a continuing resolution to fund the government before time runs out.”
Veterans Will Lose Assistance
Military veterans will also lose access to key Department of Veteran Affairs assistance programs, <a href="https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/veterans-benefits/2025/october/whats-affected-by-the-government-shutdown">according</a> to the American Legion. They will no longer be able to receive transition program assistance or career counseling, regional benefit centers will be closed, and there will be no ground maintenance or placement of permanent headstones at VA cemeteries. Additionally, multiple hotlines will be closed. 
“President Trump opposes a lapse in appropriations, and on September 19, the House of Representatives passed, with the Trump Administration’s support, a clean continuing resolution to fund the government through November 21. Unfortunately, Democrats are blocking this Continuing Resolution in the U.S. Senate due to unrelated policy demands,” the VA <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/live-blog/government-shutdown-2025-trump-live-updates-rcna234261">said</a> in a letter to veterans. 
Travel 
While airports will continue to operate across the country, there could be delays as thousands of Federal Aviation Administration employees are <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/faa-would-furlough-11000-employees-us-government-shutdown-2025-09-30/">expected</a> to be furloughed. Additionally, aircraft controllers and TSA employees will also be working without pay throughout the shutdown. 
“Under [President Trump’s] leadership, [the Department of Transportation] has hired 20% more air traffic controllers than the previous administration did in the same time period. Our team at the [FAA] did tremendous work to make this happen AHEAD of schedule,” said Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. “Now, [Sen. Schumer] and [Rep. Jeffries] are holding their paychecks HOSTAGE to push their America Last agenda through Congress.”
“The American people shouldn’t have to suffer through endless delays and cancellations because Democrats are too busy fighting for benefits for illegal immigrants! Make it make sense!” Duffy added. 
<div id="attachment_979635" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-979635" class="size-full wp-image-979635" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2231890603.jpg" alt="Travelers wait in line at the TSA security checkpoint at Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) in Dallas, Texas, US, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. For the first time in almost 20 years, pre-flight screening as of last month no longer requires passengers to take off their shoes and run them through X-ray machines, and officials have signaled they intend to ease the rule limiting containers of carry-on liquids to no more than 3.4 ounces." width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2231890603.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2231890603-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2231890603-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2231890603-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Photographer: Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images.</div>
Healthcare Programs Expire, Nutrition Programs Languish 
Certain healthcare programs have either expired or are expected to face delays as the shutdown continues. 
For example, the Acute Hospital Care at Home Initiative, which enables hospitals to obtain approval to treat Medicare patients with conditions such as respiratory diseases or bacterial infections at home, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/popular-health-program-will-expire-if-senate-dems-force-government-shutdown-white-house-warns?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Popular+Health+Program+Will+Expire+If+Senate+Dems+Force+Government+Shutdown%2C+White+House+Warns">expired</a> on Tuesday. The popular program required congressional approval to continue and had been benefiting approximately 1,200 patients per month. 
Two other healthcare programs that could be impacted by the shutdown are the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides low-income families with additional nutrition, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is intended to provide food benefits to low-income individuals. 
The <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/government-shutdown-2025-air-travel-social-security-impact-rcna234594">programs</a> will move forward “subject to the availability of funding,” and House Speaker Mike Johnson said they could be significantly hampered by the program. 
Vice President JD Vance <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jd-vance-tells-ben-shapiro-democrat-support-for-shutdown-is-cracking?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=JD+Vance+Tells+Ben+Shapiro+Democrat+Support+For+Shutdown+Is+‘Cracking’">told</a> Ben Shapiro that he believed the shutdown was a politically untenable situation for Democrats, who voted Tuesday and Wednesday to block a temporary spending plan.
“You already see, I think, the Democrats cracking a little bit because they realize it’s such a preposterous position to say, ‘We’re gonna shut down TSA, we’re gonna not pay our troops because you guys won’t give us benefits for illegal aliens.’ It’s crazy, and I don’t think it’s a tenable political situation for them to be in,” Vance said.

US Government Shutdown Looms With Trump, Democrats At Odds

Five Brutal Consequences If Democrats Continue Government Shutdown

Here Are Five Of The Biggest Negative Impacts From The Government Shutdown

airport

Department of Veterans Affairs

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

JD Vance

Law Enforcement

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

Hegseth To Top Military Brass: No More Dudes In Dresses

American General

Pentagon

Transgender

Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will address his senior military leaders next week, The Daily Wire has learned, amid buzz from legacy media outlets suggesting a &#8220;rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals&#8221; and admirals.
The news came after The Washington Post reported that Hegseth had ordered hundreds of United States military leaders to gather quickly and without explanation — claiming that the move is &#8220;sowing confusion and alarm after the Trump administration’s firing of numerous senior leaders this year.&#8221;
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell shared in a statement to The Daily Wire on Thursday that the Secretary of War will be &#8220;addressing his senior military leaders early next week.”
The Washington Post, which frequently reports critically on Hegseth&#8217;s Pentagon, claimed that Hegseth&#8217;s &#8220;overly political moves have deepened a sense of distress among his opponents,&#8221; critics who are reportedly alarmed that Hegseth is &#8220;erasing the Defense Department’s status as a nonpartisan institution.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_976971" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-to-convene-military-brass-at-virginia-summit/president-trump-attends-pentagon-ceremony-on-24th-anniversary-of-9-11-3" rel="attachment wp-att-976971"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-976971" class="wp-image-976971 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234860930-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234860930-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234860930-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234860930-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234860930.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a September 11th observance event in the courtyard of the Pentagon September 11, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)</div>
On Thursday afternoon, asked about the Washington Post report, President Donald Trump told a reporter: &#8220;Why is that such a big deal? The fact that we are getting along with the generals and admirals?&#8221;
The president pushed back on the framing of the reporter&#8217;s question, suggesting that the meeting only portended good things.
&#8220;Remember, I&#8217;m the president of peace,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s good to get along. You act like this is a bad thing. Isn&#8217;t it nice that people are coming from all over the world to be with us?&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance chimed in: &#8220;It&#8217;s not particularly unusual that generals who report to the Secretary of War and then to the President of the United States, are coming to speak with the Secretary of War. It&#8217;s actually not unusual at all, and I think it&#8217;s odd that you guys have made it into such a big story.&#8221;
&#8220;Is it a big story?&#8221; asked the president, to laughs from his vice president and other officials in the room. &#8220;Isn&#8217;t it a good story?&#8221;

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Hosts Canada’s Defense Minister David McGuinty At The Pentagon

Secretary Of War Pete Hegseth To Convene Military Brass At Virginia Summit

Department of Defense

The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, were a wake-up call for America, and I sincerely hope it is not one we as a nation have forgotten. There are still folks out there who hate our freedoms and our way of life.
We are no longer protected by oceans and geographical distance from potential enemies. We must always remember we are a nation at risk and be prepared for the next attack. I do believe in peace through strength.
I was the Assistant Division Commander for the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division on the 11th of September in 2001. I was in the middle of packing to head to the airport when my wife Sarah asked me to turn on the television. Those TV images are still etched in my mind today, even though the event occurred 24 years ago.
<div id="attachment_971107" style="width: 783px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-971107" class="size-large wp-image-971107" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1374462-773x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: (JAPAN OUT) (VIDEO CAPTURE) (Series 1/4) Hijacked United Airlines flight 175 flies towards the south tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 in New York City. The plane is one of four hijacked that morning and is the second plane to be flown into the World Trade Center buildings. (Photo by CNN via Getty Images)" width="773" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1374462-773x576.jpg 773w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1374462-300x224.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1374462-768x572.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1374462.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 773px) 100vw, 773px" />CNN via Getty Images</div>
In the past, I deployed to Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Kosovo. Since the attacks on 9/11 I deployed to Iraq three times in varying capacities. And clearly, I am not alone. All uniformed military have had shared similar experiences. As I reflect back on that time, we went from a nation enjoying peace and prosperity to a nation at war.
In order to maintain our freedoms we need a strong military. We cannot afford to let the Department of Defense become a bill payer for programs not directly tied to our national security. We need to ensure all branches of our military are a ready fighting force — well equipped, well trained, and prepared to rapidly respond to any threat at a moment’s notice.
We also must actively support our nation’s veterans and their families because they sacrificed much to ensure we have the freedoms we enjoy today. Less than 1% of our country’s population serve in uniform at any one time, but we all enjoy the freedoms provided by that select few. Unfortunately, 76% of our population acknowledges that they have no idea what our veterans are going through because they just don’t know any veterans. That is wrong and must be addressed.
I remain concerned about the future of our great nation and want to ensure our kids and grandkids enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy today. As Ronald Reagan reminded us, freedom is only one generation removed from extinction. Let’s use today to reflect on those freedoms and commit to do everything we can to maintain them for generations to come.
* * *
Rick Lynch was privileged to serve 35 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Lieutenant General. During his time in the Army he commanded at all levels, from a platoon of 30 soldiers to a corps of 65,000. His last job in the Army was commanding all U.S. Army installations, with a workforce of 120,000. He now is the President of R. Lynch Enterprises, focused on building concerned, caring, adaptive leaders across our nation. He is the author of &#8220;Adapt or Die,&#8221; &#8220;Work Hard, Pray Hard,&#8221; and &#8220;We&#8217;re Not Robots.&#8221;
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Correction: A previous version stated that the author had deployed to Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Kosovo after 9/11. Those conflicts took place before 9/11. The correction has been made.

World Trade Center Attacked

I Was An Army Commander On 9/11. I’m Still Concerned About America’s Readiness.

I Was An Army Commander On 9/11. I'm Still Concerned About America’s Readiness.

9/11

New York City

Radical Islamic Terror

U.S. Army

President Donald Trump signed an order on Friday, changing the name of the Department of Defense back to the Department of War, arguing that the rebrand marks an important change in America&#8217;s view of foreign conflict.
Trump and renamed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in the Oval Office that the rebrand points back to an era in American history when U.S. forces focused on decisive victory. The War Department was established in 1789 after America won the War for Independence, but the name changed to the Department of Defense in 1949, following decades of victories, including in World War I and World War II.
Trump said that the change to Defense Department was evidence of the United States going &#8220;woke.&#8221;
&#8220;So we won the first World War, we won the second World War, we won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So, we&#8217;re going Department of War,&#8221; Trump said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We won the first World War. We won the second World War. We won everything before that and in between — and then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So, we&#8217;re going Department of War.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Vct6X3L9JU">pic.twitter.com/Vct6X3L9JU</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964063136643678641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I think it sends a message of victory,&#8221; Trump added of the name change. &#8220;I think it sends really a message of strength. We&#8217;re very strong. We&#8217;re much stronger than anyone would really understand.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on the message sent by bringing back the Department of War: &#8220;I think it sends a message of victory&#8230; really a message of strength — we&#8217;re very strong. We&#8217;re much stronger than anyone would really understand.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/v8q3Rzmbg3">pic.twitter.com/v8q3Rzmbg3</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964065397050679584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Secretary of War Hegseth said that the United States has &#8220;not won a major war since&#8221; the Department of War changed to the Department of Defense.
&#8220;And that&#8217;s not to disparage our war fighters who, whether it&#8217;s the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or our generation of Iraq and Afghanistan,&#8221; Hegseth added. &#8220;That&#8217;s to recognize that this name change is not just about renaming — it&#8217;s about restoring. Words matter. It&#8217;s restoring, as you&#8217;ve guided us to, Mr. President, restoring the warrior ethos, restoring victory and clarity as an end state.&#8221;
Trump said that the U.S. military has always remained &#8220;very strong,&#8221; but added that in modern times, &#8220;We just never fought to win.&#8221;
&#8220;We didn&#8217;t lose anything, but we didn&#8217;t fight to win,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We could&#8217;ve won every one of those wars quickly, but they went a route that I think was probably politically correct, but not correct for our nation, so I think the Department of War sends a signal.&#8221;
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan &#8220;Razin&#8221; Caine, who was also by Trump&#8217;s side in the Oval Office, told the president, &#8220;The mission you and the secretary have given us is clear and unambiguous — to deliver peace through overwhelming strength. And I remind everyone that the U.S. military can reach any adversary at the time and place of our choosing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan &#8220;Razin&#8221; Caine: &#8220;Mr. President&#8230; America&#8217;s military is the single most powerful fighting force in the world. The mission you and <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteHegseth</a> have given us is clear and unambiguous — to deliver peace, through overwhelming STRENGTH.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/WQHeMNjghn">pic.twitter.com/WQHeMNjghn</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964063441594773557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Trump Makes Department Of War Rebrand Official, Explains Why He’s Reverting To Old Name

Menu