When Pete Hegseth stepped into the role of Defense secretary in January 2025, the former Fox News host defined his own terms for success: “Warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness. That's it. That is my job." A year and a half later, Hegseth has failed to meet even his own self-imposed standards.
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Pete Hegseth is a dangerous failure
The Hill
July 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM
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When Pete Hegseth stepped into the role of Defense secretary in January 2025, the former Fox News host defined his own terms for success: “Warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness. That's it. That is my job." A year and a half later, Hegseth has failed to meet even his own self-imposed standards.