An institution at war is being hollowed out from the inside. As many as 80 generals and admirals have been fired or had their promotions blocked. Trusted mentors with decades of combat leadership have been purged with no explanation. Key positions sit empty for months while deployments stretch to record lengths and munitions run short. Paul Rieckhoff joins MS NOW’s Alicia Menendez and Pentagon reporter Priya Sridhar to lay out what’s really happening under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — and why it should alarm every American, regardless of party.
This episode also unpacks the 60 Minutes segment that put two rescued crew members on camera after their F/A-18 went down behind enemy lines to a $100,000 missile — a segment Hegseth reportedly pushed for. Paul calls it what it is: propaganda, prime time, with a compliant network carrying water for a Secretary who seems more interested in running for president than caring for the troops. From the culture-war purge of women, people of color, and now decorated white special forces veterans, to Chairman Dan Cain’s dramatic retreat from the traditional advisory role, this is a no-BS breakdown of a Pentagon in crisis.
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