Latest news with #Hegseth
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Is Pentagon erasing Juneteenth? A mail from Pete Hegseth's office to staff has raised concerns
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 's office sent an email to staff requesting a "passive approach" to celebrating Juneteenth. Observed on June 19 each year, Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the US and commemorated to end the slavery in the country, reported Rolling Stone. Hegseth, whose work includes scrubbing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from the US military, downplayed the holiday, requesting that the Pentagon take a 'passive approach' with its Juneteenth messaging this year. Pete Hegseth on Juneteenth This messaging request for Juneteenth was transmitted by the Pentagon's office of the chief of public affairs. This office said it was not poised to publish web content related to Juneteenth, Rolling Stone reported. A Pentagon official told Rolling Stone that the Defense Department 'may engage celebrations that build camaraderie and esprit de recognition of historical events and notable figures where such recognition informs strategic thinking, reinforces our unity, and promotes meritocracy and accountability.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like At Last, An ED Pill for 87¢ That Actually Works Health Alliance by Friday Plans Learn More Undo ALSO READ: Why has Trump dropped Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard from his inner circle to navigate secret Iran action plan? The mandate comes at a time when Trump's attack on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) across the government, including the US military, which Pete Hegseth has enthusiastically executed. Live Events 'The President's guidance (lawful orders) is clear: No more DEI at @DeptofDefense,' Hegseth said in a January post on X. 'The Pentagon will comply, immediately. No exceptions, name-changes, or delays,' Hegseth also wrote. He posted an apparently hand-written note that read 'DOD ≠ DEI.' Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has continued to promote anti-DEI rhetoric, alleging that DEI policies endanger military personnel. He has not provided any evidence to corroborate his claim. During a Senate hearing last week, he said, "DEI is dead. We replaced it with a colur-blind, gender-neutral, merit-based approach and the force is responding incredibly." When asked by Rolling Stone, the Pentagon said that the Department of Defense "may engage in the following activities, subject to applicable department guidance: holiday celebrations that build camaraderie and espirit de corps; outreach events (eg, recruiting engagements with all-male, all-female, or minority-serving academic institutions) where doing so directly supports DoD's mission; and recoginition of historical events and notable figures where such recogintion informs strategic thinking, reinforces our unity, and promotes meritocracy and accountability." ALSO READ: Amazon's 30-day deadline to employees amid mass layoff fear: Resign in 60 days or... Asked for comment by the Guardian, a defense spokesperson said: 'We have nothing additional to provide on this.' No DEI programs at Pentagon Shortly after he was confirmed as Defense Secretary, Hegseth said there would be "no more" DEI programs at the Pentagon. This was followed by President Donald Trump's executive order ending DEI programs across the government. The Pentagon went on to cancel a slew of historical and cultural annual events, including observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance, National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Women's History Month. The Defense Department also marked thousands of files for deletion in a purge of so-called DEI content, the Associated Press reported in March. In late April, Hegseth declared that he had 'proudly ENDED' the Pentagon's Women, Peace, and Security program. The initiative was originally established under the Women, Peace, and Security Act, which Trump signed into law during his first term. The legislation aimed to ensure that the U.S. supported the meaningful inclusion of women in efforts to prevent, manage, and resolve violent conflicts through mediation and negotiation. ALSO READ: Trump vs Tulsi Gabbard: Is US President planning to fire US spy chief over provocative anti-war video? Trump signed an executive order in January that eliminated DEI in the military. He also appeared to sound off on DEI initiatives in an address to graduating West Point cadets on 24 May. 'They subjected the armed forces to all manner of social projects and political causes, while leaving our borders undefended and depleting our arsenals to fight other countries' wars. We fought for other countries' borders but we didn't fight for our own borders, but now we do like we have never fought before,' Trump said. He also stated 'the job of the US armed forces is not to host drag shows or transform foreign cultures', an apparent allusion to drag shows on US military installations.
UPI
3 hours ago
- Business
- UPI
South Korea says defense spending 'very high' compared to U.S. allies
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called for NATO members and Asian allies to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo SEOUL, June 20 (UPI) -- South Korea's Defense Ministry said Friday that its defense spending as a share of gross domestic product is already "very high" compared to other U.S. allies, as Washington calls for NATO members and Asian countries to increase their military budgets. "Among major U.S. allies of the United States, South Korea has a very high ratio of defense spending to GDP," the ministry said in a message to reporters. "We have continuously increased our defense budget in consideration of the serious security situation, including North Korea's nuclear and missile threats." "South Korea will continue to make efforts to secure the capabilities and posture necessary for the defense of the Korean Peninsula and peace and stability in the region," the ministry added. In 2024, South Korea spent $47.6 billion, or 2.6% of GDP, on defense, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. That share is higher than Britain's 2.3%, France's 2.1%, Germany's 1.9% and Japan's 1.4%. Seoul's statement suggested concerns over remarks by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this week calling for a "new standard" for allies in NATO and Asia to spend 5% of GDP on defense. "We expect NATO allies to commit to spending 5% of GDP on defense or defense-related investment," Hegseth said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday. "We now have a new standard for ally defense spending that all of our allies around the world, including in Asia, should move to," Hegseth said. "It's only fair that our allies and partners do their part. We cannot want their security more than they do." Hegseth also called for Asian countries to increase their spending in remarks at a defense forum in Singapore last month. "It doesn't make sense for countries in Europe to [spend 5% of GDP] while key allies in Asia spend less on defense in the face of an even more formidable threat, not to mention North Korea," he said at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue. The defense spending issue looks to be a potentially contentious topic at next week's NATO Summit in The Hague. NATO countries committed to a goal of 2% of GDP in 2014, which two-thirds have reached, but U.S. President Donald Trump has long called for an increase and has been demanding the 5% figure since his reelection. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said last week he expected the allies to agree to the 5% target. "It will be a NATO-wide commitment and a defining moment for the alliance," he said in a speech at Chatham House in London. However, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pushed back on the proposal, which must be agreed to unanimously, in a letter to Rutte this week. "For Spain, committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive," Sanchez wrote Thursday, according to El Pais. "It would move Spain away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU's efforts to strengthen its security and defense ecosystem." South Korea's newly elected President Lee Jae Myung has not confirmed whether he will attend the NATO Summit, which will be held on June 24-25. His office had anticipated a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of last week's Group of Seven meeting to discuss tariffs and defense cost-sharing issues, but the U.S. president departed early.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Why has Trump dropped Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard from his inner circle to navigate secret Iran action plan?
As US President Donald Trump considers joining Israel's military strikes against Iran, reports have claimed prominent members of his national security team have been excluded from the decision-making process. The President is rather relying on a high-profile group of Cabinet picks rather than his loyalists on the Israel-Iran conflict. Trump is apparently banking on more seasoned advisers rather than officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard , the director of national intelligence, according to current and former US officials and people close to the White House. Trump has instead turned to a small group of lower-key but more experienced aides, Washington Post reported citing people familiar with the matter. ALSO READ: Trump vs Tulsi Gabbard: Is US President planning to fire US spy chief over provocative anti-war video? by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth out? Neither Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard nor Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, once close allies to Trump, are playing a role in President Trump's inner circle amid the Israel-Iran conflict. The 'Tier One' group advising on a potential US strike on Iran is composed of Vice President JD Vance, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, according to an outside White House adviser, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive dynamics. This group is reportedly helping Trump to assess whether to launch weapons US possesses to target nuclear facilities in Iran. Hegseth served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba but he is more of an ex-Fox star. Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell pushed back against the notion that Hegseth has not been heavily involved. 'Nobody is talking to Hegseth,' one official said. 'There is no interface operationally between Hegseth and the White House at all.' Live Events "This claim is completely false. The Secretary is speaking with the President multiple times a day each day and has been with the President in the Situation Room this week," Parnell said in a statement to NBC News. "Secretary Hegseth is providing the leadership the Department of Defense and our Armed Forces need, and he will continue to work diligently in support of President Trump's peace through strength agenda." ALSO READ: Amazon's 30-day deadline to employees amid mass layoff fear: Resign in 60 days or... Trump was reportedly upset with Gabbard after she posted a video warning of global 'elites' she claimed were pushing major superpowers towards a 'nuclear holocaust'. The US spy chief said "political elite warmongers" are carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers. The Washington Post reported that Trump even confronted Gabbard at a White House meeting while others were present and said: "I saw the video, and I didn't like it." Also, when Trump was asked about Tulsi Gabbard who testified to Congress in March that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon — a direct contradiction of Israel's claims that Iran was racing toward a bomb. ALSO READ: Did White House post misleading video of Tulsi Gabbard over Iran's nuclear weapon amid her 'clash' with Trump? 'I don't care what she said,' Trump replied. 'I think they were very close to having it.' Both the Hegseth and Gabbard camps minimized concerns about their waning influence. Gabbard insisted she and the president were aligned. However, she was notably absent from Trump's June 8 meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat. According to insiders, Trump now appears to be favoring experience over celebrity appeal. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that Trump will decide whether the United States should get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict within the next two weeks.
Korea Herald
7 hours ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
South Korea says defense spending against GDP already ‘very high'
South Korea's Defense Ministry on Friday hinted at concerns over an announcement by the Donald Trump administration that its Asian allies are subject to the 'new standard' of spending 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense. South Korea's defense spending, which stands at some 51.2 trillion won ($37.5 billion) or 2.32 percent of its GDP, is already 'very high,' the ministry noted in a statement. "Among key US allies, South Korea is one of the countries that has an extremely high defense spending to GDP ratio," the ministry said in a statement. "We have continuously hiked our defense spending in consideration of our serious security situation involving North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.' South Korea will continue its efforts to maintain necessary capabilities and posture for the defense of the Korean Peninsula as well as regional peace and stability, the ministry said. Seoul's statement follows remarks made earlier this week by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, regarding a 'new standard' now in place for all US allies' defense spending, 'including in Asia.' Hegseth's remarks, made during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, are aligned with US President Donald Trump's call for NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5 percent of their GDP. This is more than double the 2 percent defense spending guideline agreed upon by the leaders of the trans-Atlantic alliance in 2014. Last month, Hegseth, during the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual defense forum held in Singapore, said that it 'doesn't make sense' for key US allies in Asia to 'spend less on defense' than countries in Europe, despite dealing with 'more formidable threats,' including North Korea provocations. Concerns are rising in South Korea over reports that Trump may shore up South Korea's defense spending while the US adjusts the role and reduces the size of the US Forces Korea. A May report by The Wall Street Journal claimed that the Trump administration is mulling the option of pulling some 4,500 personnel out of the 28,500-strong USFK and relocating them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific region. Last month, Hegseth directed Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby to draw up a US national defense strategy that focuses on burden sharing with allies as the nation navigates to deter threats from China. More than doubling defense spending would deal a heavy blow to South Korea, as it would cost Seoul over 100 trillion won to meet the 'new standards' suggested by the Trump administration. An expert pointed out that it would require the government to significantly reduce other budgets allocated to areas, including welfare, to uphold such a scenario. 'It won't be an easy process for Seoul as it would be required to cut back budgets set aside for other matters, including welfare, and funnel (the funds) into defense spending if the 5 percent of GDP rule is applied,' said Yang Uk, a research fellow at Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Observers say that if South Korean President Lee Jae Myung decides to participate in the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for June 24-25 in the Netherlands, an opportunity might arise to discuss the defense cost issue with Trump. However, the presidential office here has yet to confirm whether Lee will attend the summit, as of press time, but said the previous day that it is coordinating the details of a potential summit with Trump. First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo said in a Friday interview with Yonhap News TV that 'the current situation where the US has been requesting several countries to shore up their defense costs is true.' He vowed to review the matter in detail and continue 'close negotiations' with Washington.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hegseth caught in heated exchanges during Senate testimony
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced tense questioning during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion has more.
