Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth angrily berated reporters during a Thursday, June 26 press briefing on the crisis in the Middle East. And even a Fox News reporter wasn't spared his wrath.
Hegseth told Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, "Jennifer, you’ve been about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most intentionally."
Later, MSNBC's Chris Jansing discussed the presser with The Bulwark's Tim Miller, a Never Trump conservative and former GOP strategist. Miller lamented that Hegseth's behavior was designed to placate President Donald Trump and underscored the "lack of seriousness" at the Trump-era Pentagon.
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A frustrated Miller told Jansing, "Look, the lack of seriousness of Secretary Hegseth and just this feeling that you've got to butter up President Trump and you've got to make him feel like he was right — and you've got to make him feel strong. Like we're living in some country where you have a king or a dictator who needs to be sucked up to."
Miller continued, "It just feels unamerican and unserious."
Miller noted that some "serious" and "thoughtful" military and national security figures were part of Trump's first administration, including former Defense Secretary James Mattis. But such seriousness, according to Miller, is lacking from Hegseth and other Trump loyalists in Trump's second presidency.
Miller told Jansing, "There were some serious people that did not play along with this reality show…. And the fact that you have to have a secretary of defense go on national TV and berate the media…. To me, it shows a lot of insecurity."
Watch the full video below or at this link.