Hegseth thinks the solution to his woes is to ‘send himself.’ It’s not

Mostly embarrassing headlines.

The Hegseth Hex or the Curse of Hegseth landed on the Texas A&M Aggies, according to a string of football fans and sports writers who blamed the high-profile visitor for the team’s upset 31-21 loss to the unfancied Kentucky Wildcats.

Hegseth attended the game kitted out in an “aggie maroon” polo shirt and shouted “Let’s go” when he was presented to the crowd ahead of the game.

He was at Texas A&M primarily to lecture its Corps of Cadets about “lethal leaders.”

“No more social experiments. Just training,” he said in his speech, as he outlined the changes he had brought to the Pentagon.

“No more trannies, just training.”

That might have been awkward enough in itself with a slew of coverage accusing him of an anti-transgender slur, but his machismo-laden speech was rendered perhaps more comical by events on the football field later, and the way the home team lost to an opponent that was given a 16.5-point start in betting lines. If there were lethal leaders, then they were on the wrong team.

And if the idea was to get Hegseth back to winning ways after a difficult time, it fell rather short.

After 20 months in a job he wasn’t expected to keep for long, the former Fox News presenter dodged a bullet last week.

He could have become the first civilian Pentagon chief to face impeachment since War Secretary William Belknap in 1876. He avoided it only because Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) sent House members home early.

It doesn’t erase a growing sense that Hegseth is losing support in Congress, even among some Republicans. Critics wonder why he has ousted senior generals and accuse him of politicizing the armed forces, all while he is struggling to keep a handle on an unpopular war with Iran.

Hegseth’s response has been more of the same. By which, Secrets means, more of himself.

READ THOMAS MASSIE’S EIGHT IMPEACHMENT CHARGES AGAINST PETE HEGSETH

Last week, he invited Jake and Logan Paul to deliver a motivational speech at the Pentagon, a visit that baffled observers.

Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman who voted to impeach Trump in 2021, posted: ​“We aren’t a serious country at the moment.”

On Friday, Hegseth’s critics found more ammunition. The Washington Post reported that at least four more American troops had died in the war than the Pentagon has publicly admitted.

Hegseth denied the claim. “It’s totally made up,” he said. “It’s fake. It’s a lie.”

And on Saturday, he was trying to bolster support for the conflict with his “Send Me” campaign, visiting the Texas A&M campus.

“If you know your Book of Isaiah, chapter six, verse eight, the Lord said, ‘Who will I send?” And Isaiah says, ‘Lord, I’m here. Send me. Send me,’” he told cadets, before joining them running up and down the steps of Kyle Field, while wearing a “This is war” T-shirt, ahead of the football game.

Perhaps the only thing that would make Congress more anxious about the conflict with Iran would be suggesting it was a holy war.

You are reading Washington Secrets, a guide to power and politics in D.C. and beyond. It is written by Rob Crilly, who you can reach at [email protected] with your comments, story tips, and suggestions.

White House TV pool goes dark

Trump has managed to bully the White House Correspondents’ Association for the past two years, removing its ability to decide who is in the pool that covers the president, and shutting off events that would have been open to reporters under previous administrations. The association has managed only feeble letters of protest.

Until now.

Last week, Trump banned CNN from the White House campus. And Sunday night, it emerged that it had been pulled from its pool duty Monday, when its camera crew was due to travel with the president to New York and the United Nations, sharing footage with other broadcasters and beaming it around the world.

In CNN’s absence, you might have expected another news team to fill in with this vital work. But, in an act of solidarity, the other broadcasters have refused to take on the role.

“This is to advise that, effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the president,” Bryan Boughton, Fox News Washington bureau chief and chairman of the TV pool, wrote in a memo shared with other broadcasters.

“This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place. All other pool coverage will continue as normal, including Congress, VIPs, and selected events in Washington and around the country.”

What will this mean for a president who is famously obsessed with his TV coverage?

Quote of the day

“Well, I’m not a lesbian or bisexual, and I have never, ever been in any inappropriate relationship, nor have I ever been sexually involved with any staff.”

It’s tempting to leave that there without any further context. But it was Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) rather forcefully denying some incendiary allegations.

Lunchtime reading

The search for the next UN leader is on. And appeasing Trump is a must: Focus turns this week to the United Nations, where seven candidates are in the running to be the next secretary general. Secrets suggests the next leader has yet to enter the race.

The Defector review – A Proposal to Intrigue: Oleg Lyalin asked MI5 to expel him from London. His plan was to return home and divorce his wife — and then spy for the British.