I worked for the Department of Defense for 22 years and believe I somewhat know how the military thinks. They despise Plastered Petey and you failed to mention one of Petey’s biggest weaknesses and that he is a drunk and his third wife goes to work with him to ensure he does not drink!!!
You're right...I failed miserably. You pegged it; it's a "weakness," for damn sure. I suspect (although, I do not KNOW) that alcohol continues to play a very detrimental role in his life...and, more importantly...with our National Security.
I appreciate Jack's perspective. One thing that will condemn Hegseth is not how he is driven, but by who he tries to drive. Career Military officers are more driven than Hegseth. If Hegseth tries to overplay his hand with the senior officers, they will turn on him. This you will never see publicly. It will be like the reaction we observed following the Trump/Hegseth "come to Jesus" meeting a few months ago. Silence and no public comment. Hegseth will try and lie his way out of wrong decisions, but the military won't tolerate it. This will cause Hegseth to be less effective than he has already been and eventually a liability to Trump. (Like Patel) I can see Trump firing Hegseth and replacing hime with a Newsmax host. He won't want a person with a strong military leadership background as they would show Trump up. Something Jack has pointed out Trump can't tolerate.
This is a sharp...dead-on read, Steve...and you’ve put your finger on the exact pressure point that most people miss.
Hegseth’s biggest vulnerability isn’t his ideology…it’s his audience.
Career military officers aren’t dazzled by TV swagger.
They aren’t impressed by borrowed authority.
And they sure as hell don’t tolerate a civilian political appointee...trying to bulldoze them with bluster.
Trump can bully staffers.
He can cow political loyalists.
But...he can’t manufacture respect...inside the senior ranks of the military...and Hegseth knows it.
That’s why his entire posture is “project strength loudly before anyone notices the insecurity underneath.”
You’re absolutely right...if Hegseth tries to overplay his hand with the generals...even once...the response won’t be televised. It’ll be what you already described...
Silence. No comment. No validation. No cover.
And...in Washington...silence from the uniformed side...is louder than a scandal.
That’s the moment Trump starts seeing him the way he eventually saw Patel:
Not as an asset…
but as a liability.
And Trump...has no emotional bandwidth for liabilities.
You’re reading the board exactly the way insiders do...which is why your comment hit me as spot-on.
Strongly agree that Hegseth seeks idealogical alignment w/ his Christian nationalist agenda. 100%. However, we can't forget the alcohol, as a previous comment reminded us, nor should we forget that a TV studio/makeup room was his first major project.
I have not seen evidence that Hegseth has that bone-deep focus that strong military leaders have, regardless of whether his ideology calls for such (it does. oh well.) Trump gravitates toward Hegseth BECAUSE of Pete's concern with the hair and makeup of the character he plays on TV. What you describe seems more like an idealized Hegseth who paid attention when he was in the military and who is currently redeeming himself for sins of a past life--the guy he wants us all to believe he is. Real Hegseth can't invent some history of success to convince even himself that he can do the job--which is why the DoD is such a shitshow and the nonprofit he tried to run was a disaster before that. I think he is as impulsive as your typical addict (married to one, no shade just truth), and in no way a foil to Trump. Trump doesn't do foils. Too much air time he'd be missing.
100% agree: it's imperative to remember that anyone who is desperate for success, with a clear agenda that he got straight from God via Sam Alito or some shit, can be profoundly dangerous. But ultimately, I don't think he's that guy who loves the shadows or plans meticulously and behaves with discipline, even though he wants so much to be God's good soldier. Bears careful watching, for absolute sure, but I don't think he has it in him. And Trump will offload whatever causes him angst.
Confirming Hegseth was proof that the separation of Church & state was dead to the current GOP. As soon as he was in, this country was on its way to becoming a "Christian" nation.
Thanks for the introspective report on Secretary of War Crimes Hegseth. He’s as egocentric as T, but with a different built in drive/need mechanism. Both are scary to be left alone with hands near the nuclear code and loaded weapons. Both are too enamored with the mirror to see very far, but the playing field is a different goal. Trump is self aggrandizement and enrichment and Pickled Pete is power crazed. He is all about the manly man look. He is tough guy. The truth about tough guys are there is always someone tougher. So I don’t think all the congress sell him short. There are now enough of them aware, probably through angry phone calls and emails, of his horrors and the international laws, constitutional laws, and murder he has committed. So I think they will be clear on dealing with him. That is, except for the red hat nabobs of Indiana.
Even Todd Young voted for him and Kennedy. I called his office told him he’ll never get the smell of this off him. People will remember it forever. Just like Rubio responsible for 600,000 deaths from USAID. God doesn’t like ugly stinking mess!
Hi TG, I wondered that; I have also wondered if the current president actually loathes himself. I don’t know enough psychology to have a well-grounded opinion.
I searched ‘love bombing’, a term with which I was unfamiliar until I read your comment, TD. There were many articles available. Very, very interesting. Thank you.
Damn😱 I always thought Hegseth got his stamina from the Bottle⁉️ you've proved me wrong this evening ✨ Jack. Amazing observation here,Thank you, and will reStack ASAP 🙏
I worked for the Department of Defense for 22 years and believe I somewhat know how the military thinks. They despise Plastered Petey and you failed to mention one of Petey’s biggest weaknesses and that he is a drunk and his third wife goes to work with him to ensure he does not drink!!!
You're right...I failed miserably. You pegged it; it's a "weakness," for damn sure. I suspect (although, I do not KNOW) that alcohol continues to play a very detrimental role in his life...and, more importantly...with our National Security.
-Jack
Jack, I am a Professor Emeritus of Medicine and have observed that alcoholism is a disease that never truly leaves even a recovering alcoholic!
I appreciate Jack's perspective. One thing that will condemn Hegseth is not how he is driven, but by who he tries to drive. Career Military officers are more driven than Hegseth. If Hegseth tries to overplay his hand with the senior officers, they will turn on him. This you will never see publicly. It will be like the reaction we observed following the Trump/Hegseth "come to Jesus" meeting a few months ago. Silence and no public comment. Hegseth will try and lie his way out of wrong decisions, but the military won't tolerate it. This will cause Hegseth to be less effective than he has already been and eventually a liability to Trump. (Like Patel) I can see Trump firing Hegseth and replacing hime with a Newsmax host. He won't want a person with a strong military leadership background as they would show Trump up. Something Jack has pointed out Trump can't tolerate.
Again, excellent analysis.
This is a sharp...dead-on read, Steve...and you’ve put your finger on the exact pressure point that most people miss.
Hegseth’s biggest vulnerability isn’t his ideology…it’s his audience.
Career military officers aren’t dazzled by TV swagger.
They aren’t impressed by borrowed authority.
And they sure as hell don’t tolerate a civilian political appointee...trying to bulldoze them with bluster.
Trump can bully staffers.
He can cow political loyalists.
But...he can’t manufacture respect...inside the senior ranks of the military...and Hegseth knows it.
That’s why his entire posture is “project strength loudly before anyone notices the insecurity underneath.”
You’re absolutely right...if Hegseth tries to overplay his hand with the generals...even once...the response won’t be televised. It’ll be what you already described...
Silence. No comment. No validation. No cover.
And...in Washington...silence from the uniformed side...is louder than a scandal.
That’s the moment Trump starts seeing him the way he eventually saw Patel:
Not as an asset…
but as a liability.
And Trump...has no emotional bandwidth for liabilities.
You’re reading the board exactly the way insiders do...which is why your comment hit me as spot-on.
More coming soon.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Strongly agree that Hegseth seeks idealogical alignment w/ his Christian nationalist agenda. 100%. However, we can't forget the alcohol, as a previous comment reminded us, nor should we forget that a TV studio/makeup room was his first major project.
I have not seen evidence that Hegseth has that bone-deep focus that strong military leaders have, regardless of whether his ideology calls for such (it does. oh well.) Trump gravitates toward Hegseth BECAUSE of Pete's concern with the hair and makeup of the character he plays on TV. What you describe seems more like an idealized Hegseth who paid attention when he was in the military and who is currently redeeming himself for sins of a past life--the guy he wants us all to believe he is. Real Hegseth can't invent some history of success to convince even himself that he can do the job--which is why the DoD is such a shitshow and the nonprofit he tried to run was a disaster before that. I think he is as impulsive as your typical addict (married to one, no shade just truth), and in no way a foil to Trump. Trump doesn't do foils. Too much air time he'd be missing.
100% agree: it's imperative to remember that anyone who is desperate for success, with a clear agenda that he got straight from God via Sam Alito or some shit, can be profoundly dangerous. But ultimately, I don't think he's that guy who loves the shadows or plans meticulously and behaves with discipline, even though he wants so much to be God's good soldier. Bears careful watching, for absolute sure, but I don't think he has it in him. And Trump will offload whatever causes him angst.
Thank you for all you do!
Confirming Hegseth was proof that the separation of Church & state was dead to the current GOP. As soon as he was in, this country was on its way to becoming a "Christian" nation.
Thanks for the introspective report on Secretary of War Crimes Hegseth. He’s as egocentric as T, but with a different built in drive/need mechanism. Both are scary to be left alone with hands near the nuclear code and loaded weapons. Both are too enamored with the mirror to see very far, but the playing field is a different goal. Trump is self aggrandizement and enrichment and Pickled Pete is power crazed. He is all about the manly man look. He is tough guy. The truth about tough guys are there is always someone tougher. So I don’t think all the congress sell him short. There are now enough of them aware, probably through angry phone calls and emails, of his horrors and the international laws, constitutional laws, and murder he has committed. So I think they will be clear on dealing with him. That is, except for the red hat nabobs of Indiana.
Even Todd Young voted for him and Kennedy. I called his office told him he’ll never get the smell of this off him. People will remember it forever. Just like Rubio responsible for 600,000 deaths from USAID. God doesn’t like ugly stinking mess!
Precisely!
Thanks, Jack.
Do both Trump and Hegseth have the ability to love others? Their spouses? Their daughters? Their mothers?
Are their personal lives separate from their public lives? Psychologically, does this matter at all?
I doubt as they love themselves too much to love others...
Hi TG, I wondered that; I have also wondered if the current president actually loathes himself. I don’t know enough psychology to have a well-grounded opinion.
Neither do I have enough psychology background to be certain but I have heard that can be a problem for those who are in capable of loving people.
That’s interesting and yet over and over, they find spouses.
Love bombing. Look it up. A standard narcissist approach.
I searched ‘love bombing’, a term with which I was unfamiliar until I read your comment, TD. There were many articles available. Very, very interesting. Thank you.
He scares the bejeezus out of me.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5628685-service-members-boat-strikes-orders-hegseth/
and
“Worst Person You Know Secretly Calling Shots on “Drug Boat” Strikes” by The New Republic
As always Thank you Jack.
Damn😱 I always thought Hegseth got his stamina from the Bottle⁉️ you've proved me wrong this evening ✨ Jack. Amazing observation here,Thank you, and will reStack ASAP 🙏
Thank you Jack. Forewarned is forearmed.
#HoldFast @jackhopkins. What do you make of his “fog of war” defense