If Trump Doesn’t Fire Pete Hegseth Now, It’s Going to Send a Message Heard Round the World

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/12/pete-hegseth-trump-war-crimes-boats-venezuela.html

40 comments

  1. He’s got the rock-bottom advantage.

    The world couldn’t possibly have a lower opinion of him and his administration.

  2. If Pete gets fired, he might end up giving a fifth of vodka hegseth poisoning

  3. Tbh, if he didn’t fire Kash, he’s not firing Pete. He needs distracting fallguys around him.

  5. He is acting with complete impunity. There’s no way he fires anyone now. What are they going to do, impeach him? Lol. Johnson will do everything in his power to make sure that the measure never sees the floor.

  6. I dunno guys. Outside world representative here. Trump needs to fire himself for allowing this clown to be in the position to order this murder. Also fire Hegseth and Admiral Suckup and Captain Misslelauncher.

  7. Grandfather Time thinks his third grade bullying routine is earning him respect so he’s definitely not going to get why his brewski buddy makes him look like a worthless murderer.

  8. The Heritage Foundation is rethinking picking Trump. It’s looking bad and they are worried this is going to end Bad for them.

  9. He won’t fire him. I’m confident none of these ghouls will

  10. They’re definitely going to throw Hegseth into the thresher. Even the White House is outright admitting Hegseth gave the illegal orders when otherwise they’ve had zero trouble with just deny deny denying everything. They’ll kick him out to shut everybody up, but they’ll stall for as long as they can in order to distract from the Epstein files.

  11. What a stupid title, Slate.

    He’s already sent a message and it’s that he’s a mean spirited and irrational actor.

    Don’t sanewash him by making it sound like he’s got a strategic choice to make. He’s made the awful and the stupid choice already by picking an unqualified tryhard alcoholic war-porn enthusiast to head up the defense department.

  12. Would any countries go to war over the US firing on innocent vessels?

  13. Look they’ve already set up the perfect scam. Let the Admiral take the fall…which he will and they’ll pardon him at the max point and throw him some bone$$$$.

  14. Have we not had enough “messages heard round the world”?

    The world already knows Trump is an unhinged maniac who surrounds himself with unhinged maniacs.

  15. But see I don’t like this one bit…

    It unfairly punishes Hegseth, assisting Trump in throwing him under the bus. It was Trump who ordered the boat finished off. And Hegseth will speak if permitted. So I expect them to possibly target him before he can speak up against Trump.

  17. What other miserable cretin would Trump replace him with?

  18. You’ve gotta have had your head in a hole since this admin took over if you think Pete is going anywhere

  19. Unless Hegseth personally embarrasses or insults Trump when he’s piss drunk, Trump’s not gonna fire him. He’s loyal, a complete drunken, racist, extremely unqualified, weekend warrior, bottom of the barrel, loyal moron, but loyal nonetheless.

  20. I thought he’d can his incompetent ass after the debacle that was Stinky’s lil tank party on his B-Day. I don’t think anyone is home in that bewigged skull.

  24. that’s the thing, now any XYZ country can kill a US citizen, a tourist even, and claim they had some drugs on them. Is that what we want? The US to go and fight every country the world that looks to act just like we are in this moment?

  25. A message? That ship has sailed. The message has been echoing around the world since the whole shitshow began. Nobody is seeing any confiscated drugs to prove these are not fishing boats. It’s just more murders to everyone around the world. And a dictator wannabe trying to steal the world’s largest oil reserve.

  26. Trump doesn’t give a flying shit what anyone but Putin thinks about him.

  28. Message has been sent long ago with all the subtlety of a brick through a window

  30. Oh, what’s that message gonna be? That Trump is the worst leader the US has ever seen? I don’t think he’s concerned.

  32. He doesn’t care about our norms, why would he care about global norms? There is no bottom.

  33. What if they can’t find anybody else as well-qualified to fill the position?

  34. Mark my words, this administration has emboldened every dictator and third world government to be as corrupt as they aspire to be. This corruption in the wide open from the most power country in the world, from the greatest nation on earth. What an amazing example we’re setting. The future is beyond fucked. The damage is already done.

  35. The purpose of Pete Hogsbreathe is to have control of the military. He will not fire Pete. Pete allows Trump to commit war crimes and even deploy troops against the US population when the time comes.

  36. That’s not going to happen, he’s following directions like a good dog. The world has already heard his message. Oil reserves were (fairly) recently discovered off the disputed coast of Venezuela and Guyana, war is good for the *economy.
    *billionaires and corporations

  37. >If he doesn’t fire him, Trump in effect tells the world—including the 2 million service members of the U.S. armed forces—that he too is indifferent to the laws of war, sending a message that they can be indifferent as well.

    That’s definitely Donald Trump’s position, so I’m not sure where this article is going.

  39. He won’t fire him because he’s a traitor piece of shit

  40. He won’t fire him. Trump loves anyone who showers him with praise. Just watch his cabinet meetings, every single member has to offer some kind of praise.

    It’s a clown show.

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