Powerful forces are out to derail Pete Hegseth’s bid to become secretary of defense and carry out President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to reform the Pentagon.
The Army veteran and former Fox News host has been hammered by a stream of inflammatory accusations in recent days, from past allegations of sexual assault to absurd and baseless claims that his faith-based tattoos reveal him as a white supremacist.
Hegseth, of course, has never faced criminal charges, has never been connected to any white supremacy groups or activities and has never deviated from his loyalty to country — so these preposterous attacks merely reveal the desperation of those seeking to subvert his confirmation.
Why? Because, after a groundless 10-year war in Iraq and a 20-year stalemate in Afghanistan, the US military is embroiled in a culture war — another war it seems to be losing.
Instead of prioritizing operational readiness, current establishment leadership in the US armed forces and the White House have aggressively implemented identity politics and the demands of far-left lobbyists who have destroyed the military from within.
America’s once-sacred institution has morphed into one of the nation’s most “woke” industrial complexes — and the consequences are dire.
Service members are losing their careers, their retirements and in some cases their freedom due to this cultural shift.
Meanwhile, billions of taxpayer dollars continue to flow into national defense as the military’s priorities increasingly reflect a departure from its core mission.
A change in leadership is crucial, and Hegseth — a decorated war veteran and outspoken advocate for military members — is the solution the Pentagon needs.
As former military prosecutors and career military justice attorneys, we saw the military’s “wokeification” beginning around 2010, when the Defense Department became entrenched in its version of the #MeToo movement.
In the process of righteously seeking to end sexual assault in the military, the department and Congress unwittingly opened a Pandora’s box of unending pressure and demands from lobbyists and interest groups that soon shifted into the business of identity politics.
By Andrew Cherkasky and Katie Cherkasky
Read Full Article on NYPost.com
