Hegseth to strip Harvey Milk's name from Navy vessel in culture war push
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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hegseth abandoned by aides as Pentagon left in turmoil
Pete Hegseth has lost his sixth senior aide in as many months, with the defence secretary's struggle to retain key staff leaving the Pentagon in limbo. Justin Fulcher, who resigned on Saturday, was named as an adviser to Mr Hegseth in April after joining the Trump administration as part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). Mr Fulcher said he only planned to work for the government for six months, but his departure is the latest of a string of top Hegseth aides to quit the Pentagon. Mr Fulcher had been involved in a confrontation with Doge staff members assigned to the Pentagon in April, the Washington Post reported, but officials insisted his departure was amicable. Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said: 'The Department of Defense is grateful to Justin Fulcher for his work on behalf of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth.' It comes following reports that Mr Hegseth is in 'full paranoia' mode after a series of Pentagon leaks, and that he now only trusts his wife and inner circle. The defence secretary was said to have entered 'full paranoia, back-against-the-wall mode' following a slew of stories accusing him of incompetence, unprofessionalism and sharing sensitive military information, according to CNN. Mr Hegseth came under intense pressure to step down after details about US strikes on Yemen were sent to a journalist who had been inadvertently added to a group chat on the Signal platform. He was also accused of posting the same details about strike plans in another Signal group. The defence secretary fired several members of his senior staff following the leak investigation, including Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser, and Dan Selnick, the deputy chief of staff. Joe Kasper, Mr Hegseth's chief of staff, was also moved to another role within the department after coming under pressure over toxic workplace allegations. Colin Carroll, another senior adviser, was ousted after being identified during an investigation into the leaks. Mr Fulcher suggested there was no ill will behind his departure. 'Working alongside the dedicated men and women of the Department of Defense has been incredibly inspiring,' Mr Fulcher said. 'Revitalising the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military, and re-establishing deterrence are just some of the historic accomplishments I'm proud to have witnessed. 'None of this could have happened without Secretary Hegseth's decisive leadership or President Trump's continued confidence in our team.' Last month, it was reported that the department was struggling to fill positions, with at least three people turning down jobs to work for Mr Hegseth, an official told NBC News. Mr Parnell denied the claims, saying that the 'anonymous sources cited in this article have no idea what they're talking about.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pete Hegseth's Senior Advisor Justin Fulcher Resigns from the Pentagon After 6 Months
"We wish him well in his future endeavors," Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statementNEED TO KNOW Justin Fulcher, who served as a senior advisor to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has departed from the Pentagon after six months "This is just the beginning," he wrote in a statement on X Fulcher made headlines in April when he allegedly accused a colleague of calling the Pentagon police on himJustin Fulcher, who served as a senior advisor to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has departed from the Pentagon after six months. Fulcher announced his exit in a statement shared on X on Saturday, July 19. "As planned, I've completed 6 months of service in government to my country," he wrote. "Working alongside the dedicated men and women of the Department of Defense has been incredibly inspiring," Fulcher continued. Reflecting on his time in office, the former aide said, "Revitalizing the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military, and reestablishing deterrence are just some of the historic accomplishments I'm proud to have witnessed. Still, this is just the beginning." Fulcher then expressed his gratitude to Hegseth for his "decisive leadership" and to President Donald Trump for his "continued confidence in our team." "I'm grateful to both, and to the extraordinary civilians and service members who turn vision into action every day," Fulcher wrote, then adding that he will continue to support "all future endeavors" of the Department of Defense. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said, "The Department of Defense is grateful to Justin Fulcher for his work on behalf of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth. We wish him well in his future endeavors." Fulcher previously worked in the Department of Defense as part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, according to CBS News. Three sources claimed to the outlet that Fulcher was "ousted" from the department. Hegseth's office has lost three other staff members this year alone, including senior adviser Dan Caldwell and deputy chief of staff Dan Selnick, who were both fired, and chief of staff Joe Kasper, who transitioned into a new role, per CBS News. Fulcher made headlines in April when he allegedly accused a colleague of calling the Pentagon police on him, The Independent reported. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Speaking with Fox Digital, Fulcher said he resigned on Thursday, July 17. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, was confirmed as the Secretary of Defense in January. His nomination in November 2024 was controversial given his sexual assault allegation from 2017. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
15 hours ago
- Fox News
Obama should be out there more countering Trump in 'moment of crisis,' MSNBC panelist says
An MSNBC panelist urged former President Barack Obama to speak out more often on Saturday after he urged members of his party to "toughen up" at a recent fundraiser. "I know he's done being president, and many will say he doesn't owe us anything else, but I think if we are in a moment of crisis, and you've ever led this country, you should still care about this country enough to be out there. I've had this crazy thought that if every time Donald Trump did something crazy or said something crazy, Barack Obama should have a press conference or something," Shaniqua McClendon, the vice president of political strategy at Crooked Media, said during MSNBC's "The Weekend." McClendon agreed with Obama's recent suggestion that Democrats should "toughen up," but urged the former president to get out there more himself as someone who served as president. "He is someone who can command attention. And so part of where I don't think it's fair is, most Democrats are not Barack Obama. They can't command attention the way he can. And we're in a media environment that even if you are fighting, if no one hears you, it's not worth anything. People listen to him. So I do think it's fair," McClendon continued. During a July fundraiser, Obama suggested members of the party should stop complaining so much. "I think it's going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it's going to require Democrats to just toughen up," Obama said at the fundraiser, according to excerpts obtained by CNN. "Don't tell me you're a Democrat, but you're kind of disappointed right now, so you're not doing anything. No, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something." MSNBC host Catherine Rampell wondered if Obama would be accused of sucking up all the oxygen if he was out there more. "He probably would be accused of that. But those people are not pushing through right now," McClendon said. She suggested some Democrats, such as Reps. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., were breaking through, but most were not. "The point now is that we are in a really dire situation… Our rights are being taken away every day. And if Barack Obama is someone who can push back on that and at least get people to pay attention to the fact that that's happening, it matters a lot. And so, yeah, I think that is not an argument, I wish that was the thing we had to worry about," she added. Hosts of "The View" criticized Obama's advice, arguing that Democrats had been out there fighting against Trump.
