Pete Hegseth

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40 Articles

How Congress Can Regulate Military Promotions After Trump v. Slaughter

To restore transparency and accountability, Congress should reform the statutory authorities to remove officers from promotion lists and delay promotions.

Combat Experience as a Strategic Resource: Lessons of the Red Army Purges

Implications of Pete Hegseth's forcing out over two dozen senior U.S. military officers, collectively totaling over 900 years of military experience.

Key Questions on U.S. Killing Tren de Aragua Leader Inside Venezuela

Does the killing of Tren de Aragua's leader by the U.S. military in Venezuela constitute murder? An extrajudicial killing? What was its purported legal basis?
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 24, 2026.

Can the Secretary of Defense Remove Admirals from a Promotion List?

The legal questions raised by these removals ultimately extend far beyond the careers of the officers involved.
Hegseth is seen in the foreground, walking by a wooden dias where members of the Senate Appropriations Committee are standing and sitting in a wood-paneled room.

Congress Can Act Now on U.S. DoD Inspector’s Report Revealing Violations of Civilian Harm Policy and Law

A Defense Department Inspector General report shows the Pentagon’s failure to prioritize congressionally mandated civilian protection mechanisms amid U.S. military action.
Copies of the People's Daily newspaper with a front page photo and headline which reads "Xi Jinping holds talks with US President Trump", are displayed at a news stand in Beijing on May 15, 2026. Trump said he had made "fantastic trade deals" with China's Xi Jinping, as the pair met on May 15 at final talks of a superpower summit that according to the US leader has also reaped a Chinese offer to help open the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo by GREG BAKER / AFP via Getty Images)

The Historic U.S. Defense Budget Request Needs a Sound Indo-Pacific Policy

The Trump administration's proposed $1.45 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027 comes up short in three key ways for U.S. security in the Indo-Pacific.

The Just Security Podcast: Reporting at a Crossroads

A panel hosted by the Reiss Center and Just Security explores challenges facing national security journalism, legal risks, and newsroom leadership in a polarized landscape.
A congressional hearing room with multiple U.S. defense and military officials seated at a table beneath the U.S. Department of Defense seal and service emblems on the wall, with portraits, flags, and the nameplate “HON Hegseth” visible in the foreground.

The Armed Forces Need the Military Justice Review Panel

Rather than some new handcrafted DoD entity, it is crucial that the Military Justice Review Panel (MJRP) be restored as required under statute.

Lessons from the Pentagon’s Empty Case Against Mark Kelly

Expert on civil-military relations writes on what's behind Secretary Pete Hegseth’s "hollow pursuit" of Senator Mark Kelly.
Collage of the Israel-Iran conflict

Collection: Iran, Israel and the United States at War (2025-2026 Operations)

Experts analyze the US-Israel Iran military conflicts - covering nuclear diplomacy; strategic, security, and regional implications; and domestic and international law.
Diploma, notebooks and soldier uniform near flag of United States (Getty Images - Liudmila Chernetska)

Hegseth’s Intellectual Purge is an Insult to His Officer Corps

"I am also a registered Republican and a gun owner. I did not arrive in Cambridge confused about my political identity. I did not leave with it erased or chastened."
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images)

The Dangers of Hegseth’s “Warfighter” Ethos

Hegseth may present his version of a warfighter as the paragon of U.S. military power, but for all his talk, he fails to recognize the true strengths of the armed forces.
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