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submitted 3 weeks ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

US defense head is eager to frame operation as a success – and slam journalists for not portraying it in a positive light

Pete Hegseth on Friday again claimed the US military campaign against Iran has been an unprecedented success, using a Pentagon press conference to accuse journalists of downplaying Washington’s supposed gains on the battlefield.

Speaking alongside the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, the US defense secretary claimed Iran had been left without a functioning air force, navy or missile defense network after 13 days of strikes, and said the combined US-Israeli air campaign had hit more than 15,000 targets since the war began.

“The United States is decimating the radical Iranian regime’s military in a way the world has never seen before,” Hegseth told reporters.

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[-] Atomic@sh.itjust.works 20 points 3 weeks ago

I liked it better when I didn't know the names of various American ministers

[-] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago
[-] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

Careful guys, Pete might be on here to downvote.

[-] RoidingOldMan@lemmy.world 14 points 3 weeks ago

Has Iran even said thank you?

[-] rants_unnecessarily@piefed.social 4 points 3 weeks ago

Did they even wear a suite?

[-] daychilde@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Or even just a single room?

[-] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yes... But it was tan.

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[-] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Fuck you, Pete. Fuck you, you piece of shit. Fuck you, you child-murderer.

You are the absolute, most bottom, horrible, disgusting, sub-human, terrible monster.

Hell is too good for you.

[-] Bwaz@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

A success at ...what? No goal was ever provided. He caused a lot of damage, killed a lot of people. Iranian conservative religious government (as well as USA's) is still in power. Iranian nuclear capability (so far, none) hasn't changed.

And a lot of us are still demanding release of ALL unredacted Trump-Epstein Files.

[-] Kintarian@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Success at distracting from the Epstein files

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[-] ceenote@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

Singling out CNN by name, Hegseth said: “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”

This fuckin guy just comes right out and says it...

[-] DMCMNFIBFFF@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

wp:David Ellison#Personal life

(my bold)

Ellison and his father are close associates of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[6] His father's first wife has described Larry as "an ardent Zionist" and he hosted the prime minister on his Hawaiian island in 2021.

[-] SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago

Too big to fail is ALSO too big to care.

[-] TwilitSky@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

What I love is now that they know it bothers him EVERY shot is him looking ridiculous.

[-] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago
[-] hateisreality@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Fucking piece of shit, limp dicked, drunk Nazi traitor upset we don't support his fucking war crimes for Jesus?

[-] 8bittech@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

"Kiff come hold up the flag, and wavy it a little for God's sake"

[-] probable_possum@leminal.space 1 points 3 weeks ago

I thought it was Putin who sends wave after wave until the kill limit is reached.

[-] paranoid@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

"That young man fills me with hope. Plus some other emotions which are weird and deeply confusing."

[-] Greyghoster@aussie.zone 4 points 3 weeks ago

Billionaires are always about the truth! Buy up the media to spread billionaire news not what is actually happening.

“But Hegseth couldn’t help himself. He had to go further. “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network the better,” he added. In those 10 words, the Defence Secretary said the quiet part out loud.”

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/with-10-damning-words-pete-hegseth-says-the-quiet-part-out-loud-20260314-p5oafr.html

[-] MisterD@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

Fascism: when the rich ARE the government

[-] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 3 weeks ago

This dude was literally a talking head on Fox News.

There's no way there isn't hours of footage of him being negative about literally everything Obama and Biden did.

[-] Wytch@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 weeks ago

It's bad enough they have to do a fascism, worse that it's a stupid fascism. But do they have to fucking whine about it constantly too? God damn

[-] daychilde@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Well, yes. The nature of fascism is exactly to whine about things exactly like this.

This behavior is a foundational element of the fascist cult of the leader, where the state head is presented as an infallible, almost superhuman figure whose every action is a historic triumph. Because the leader cannot fail, any reality that doesn't align with their self-proclaimed brilliance is framed as a failure of the media or the public to be sufficiently "grateful" or "loyal." Mussolini was a master of this, frequently attacking journalists as shirkers or cowards for not practicing militant journalism and failing to recognize the supposed civilizing success of his brutal campaigns. To a fascist, a lack of active, ecstatic praise from the press isn't just a difference of opinion; it is viewed as a form of national betrayal and a "stab in the back" by internal enemies.

By constantly complaining about not getting enough credit, these leaders deliberately cultivate a siege mentality among their followers. Hitler used this tactic to delegitimize any information source he didn't control, asserting that "intellectuals" and the media were too timid or corrupt to champion his military genius. This framing transforms the leader into a tireless, misunderstood martyr who is being let down by a cynical elite. It is a calculated propaganda move designed to turn a supporter’s pride into a protective, weaponized anger against the "ungrateful" press, ensuring that the only acceptable narrative is one of constant, uncritical victory.

[-] triptrapper@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Thank you for writing this.

[-] WanderingThoughts@europe.pub 3 points 3 weeks ago

Reminds me of those German radio messages that always reported glorious victories, but every day the victory was a bit closer to Berlin.

[-] wuffah@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago
[-] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Oh my god.

I can’t unsee this now.

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[-] DragonAce@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

This guy is worse than a fucking Family Guy parody of an over the top limp dick douchebag.

[-] StarryPhoenix97@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

I was thinking about this on the drive home and needed to log in to actually share this bit of craziness.

One of the excuses that they're using for bombing these school kids is to say that their intel on the area was about ten years out-of-date. Which is funny, because ten years ago was Trump’s first term, and a massive data breach happened around that time that cost U.S. intelligence agencies a huge number of agents.

So, no matter how you slice it, this is on the Trump administration for messing up things he’s too stupid to understand. It takes time to build up assets who can provide information on any given area. It’s possible that there was a school there specifically because they knew the location was compromised.

And even if you want to handwave that data breach as not Trump’s fault, (ignoring the fact that he starting this war). He cut more intelligence jobs when he got into office last year. Who knows what USAID was doing, Who knows what paper projects he cut that had aid in the area or fronts for CIA opperations. His military didn't have current data on the region becuase everything he has done has fucked up opperations for his military.

[-] D_C@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

"US Defence head..."
But they changed it to the Department of War, so that should read "US War head..."

[-] switcheroo@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

"How dare you peasants not praise me when we bombed a school then bombed it again to make sure! We fuck kids one way or another!"

That's what that shitiot sounds like.

Fuck off Kegsbreath, you worthless pedo-protector.

[-] MudMan@fedia.io 1 points 3 weeks ago

Every time I accidentally pay attention to US politics in any way I end up with a headache, but...

Addressing the issue of the strait, Hegseth disparaged reporting that the US had not been prepared for Iran’s effective closure of shipping route. “The only thing prohibiting transit in [Hormuz] right now is Iran shooting at shipping,” Hegseth said. “It is open for transit should Iran not do that.”

...what?

[-] CouldntCareBear@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

Please clap.

[-] Deestan@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

People don't like murder. Suck it up and deal with it, Pete.

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[-] Blakrabbit@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, this is a war they can't sell.

[-] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 1 points 3 weeks ago

“The United States is decimating the radical Iranian regime’s military in a way the world has never seen before,” Hegseth told reporters.

Trump and Hegseth make me think of Harbinger (from Mass Effect): https://masseffect.fandom.com/wiki/Harbinger_(Collector)/Battle_Quotes

“This hurts you.”

“This is true power.”

“The forces of the universe bend to me.”

[-] DMCMNFIBFFF@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

(my bold)

“The United States is decimating the radical Iranian regime’s military in a way the world has never seen before,” Hegseth told reporters.

said the ignoramus.

[-] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

Holy fuck that press conference was the cribgiest thing I've ever seen.

This guy's brain is broken.

[-] MuskyMelon@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Cause we're strong enough, we're winnest enough and goshdarn it people should fear me!

Fucking pathetic Pete. You're just fucking pathetic.

[-] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

“The United States is decimating the radical Iranian regime’s military in a way the world has never seen before,” Hegseth told reporters.

I don't think anybody doubted the US could decimate Iran's military. But that is a military objective - not a political goal. War is "politics by other means" after all and we have not yet heard a single rational idea for what America's goal is.

Iran's military being decimated does nothing for me. What is the goal you sociopath?

[-] fisch@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, how about we all be a little more positive about the great war he started. Enjoy it a little bit, goddamn!

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this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2026
82 points (98.8% liked)

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