Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been labeled a "living cartoon warrior" in a blistering takedown that accuses President Donald Trump's Pentagon chief of being all show and no substance when it comes to the actual business of running the military.
Writing in The New Republic on Tuesday, Steve Kennedy argued that Hegseth's obsession with looks, combative style and commitment to ideology has undermined military professionalism in the war with Iran.
Kennedy said the fact that the administration couldn't secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz despite the American firepower demonstrated a gap between the Pentagon chief's talk and the reality of what was achieved.
He also mentioned the depleted stocks of precision munitions, the instability within the military leadership and the impeachment effort by a Republican due to his controversial commands.
Rather than rethink his approach, Kennedy said Hegseth has simply continued to promote the warrior image while pushing out senior military commanders.
Hegseth has led a purge of top military personnel, announcing plans to cut 20 percent of general and admiral positions and declaring that the warrior ethos was back.
Kennedy drew a parallel with Col. Archibald Yell, a politically connected volunteer commander during the Mexican-American War who was famous for his toughness yet struggled with the fundamentals of training and discipline.
At the Battle of Buena Vista in 1847, Kennedy explained that Yell’s regiment fled under attack despite Yell’s order to charge. Yell then charged alone and was killed in action.
Kennedy argued that Hegseth’s style of military leadership, which is based on personal popularity and displays of machismo, could be detrimental to the more unglamorous work that actually wins wars.
He called Hegseth a "living cartoon warrior, as opposed to a military professional with a demonstrated record of managing a vast institution.”
He said added that Trump went with Hegseth, who he says “performed” the role of a warrior, because the president wanted someone who looked and sounded like his ideal defense secretary rather than a professional with military experience.
Kennedy also criticized Hegseth’s putting the appearance of troops on his priority list and took aim at his “bizarre” testosterone screening program, which was temporarily rescinded.
He questioned the Pentagon’s approach of targeting biological markers of masculinity and conflating it with military readiness.
He said Hegseth's authority goes far beyond that of the volunteer commanders of the 19th century. Yell operated under professional officers, while Hegseth can remove senior military officers who don't toe the line.
Kennedy said that regarding the U.S.-Iran war, Washington needs experienced commanders and a realistic appraisal of its own power, not just public displays of strength.
Kennedy concluded his column with a warning about the dangers of Trump’s Pentagon chief’s leadership, writing: "He has mistaken looking like a killer for knowing how to win, and the entire world is paying for his insecurity."
