Latest news with #IndependentVeteransofAmerica
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Army Veteran Torches ‘Rattled' Hegseth's ‘Dangerous' Military Move
An Army veteran blasted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for politicizing the military and accused him of attacking the press more aggressively than he attacks America's enemies. Hegseth lashed out at reporters repeatedly during a Thursday news conference amid the fallout over a leaked preliminary intelligence assessment that found last weekend's strikes on Iran had only set the country's nuclear program back by a few months. The defense secretary ranted at the press and called out news organizations and reporters by name, accusing them of 'a great deal of irresponsible reporting based on leaks, preliminary information in low confidence.' He and Trump have also claimed the reporting disrespects the troops. Paul Rieckhoff, an Iraq War veteran and founder of Independent Veterans of America, called Hegseth's performance 'conduct unbecoming' and said the administration was setting a dangerous precedent. 'He looks rattled. He obviously looks thin-skinned,' Rieckhoff told CNN's Abby Phillip during Thursday's episode of NewsNight. 'He's extremely aggressive and volatile.' Rieckoff went on to say that asking the administration hard questions has nothing to do with the troops, and that Hegseth has continued to 'conflate the war with the warriors.' 'It's entirely separate, and they're using it [the military] consistently as a very dangerous shield, which continues to politicize our military, which is their playbook now, which is very, very dangerous,' he said. After the Vietnam War, the country worked hard to separate partisan politics from the people in uniform, he added. Rieckoff also ripped into Hegseth and other administration officials for repeatedly berating journalists questioning the administration's claims that Iran's nuclear program was 'obliterated' in Saturday's strikes on the Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan sites. 'He's attacking the press. We need him to attack our enemies,' Rieckoff said. 'I wish he attacked Vladimir Putin as aggressively as he attacked CNN and others.' As for Iran's nuclear program, 'I don't know if it was obliterated or not,' he added. 'But I do know what is being obliterated: the Constitution,' he said. 'Congress has abdicated their responsibility to rein in a president when he's engaging in combat.'
03-05-2025
- Politics
Trump to rename Veterans Day? One veteran has something to say
ABC News' Phil Lipof spoke with Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Independent Veterans of America, about President Donald Trump's proclamation to rename Veterans Day.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘They know how bad it is': Trump's team struggling to spin Signal-gate after full chat released
Carol Leonnig, Washington Post National Investigative Reporter, Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and CEO of Independent Veterans of America, and Tim Miller, former RNC Spokesperson joins Alicia Menendez in for Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House with reaction to the continued fallout from the leaked group chat involving an attack on the Houthis in Yemen and how the Trump Administration's refusal to acknowledge a mistake was made has made the story far worse for the President, and exposed how bad of a
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Flamethrower of destruction': Trump Administration set to make huge cuts to Veterans Affairs jobs
Paul Reickhoff, Founder and CEO of Independent Veterans of America and Tim Miller, Host of The Bulwark Podcast join Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House to discuss the latest part of the federal government on the chopping block, America's Veterans. With the Trump administration preparing to make massive cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs' which will eliminate thousands of jobs held by American veterans and make it harder for veterans to get care and benefits.
