An Iraq War veteran is sharply criticizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for what he called a dangerous politicization of the military and an obsessive focus on attacking the press instead of America’s adversaries.
During a tense Thursday press conference, Hegseth lashed out at reporters over leaked intelligence suggesting that last weekend’s airstrikes on Iran had only minimally disrupted its nuclear program—delaying it by just a few months. He accused journalists and news outlets of spreading “irresponsible reporting” based on early, low-confidence assessments.
President Donald Trump also joined Hegseth in condemning the media, claiming the coverage disrespected U.S. troops.
But Paul Rieckhoff, founder of the group Independent Veterans of America, said Hegseth’s behavior was “conduct unbecoming” of a defense secretary.
“He looked shaken, defensive, and thin-skinned,” Rieckhoff told CNN’s NewsNight host Abby Phillip. “He’s been more aggressive in going after American reporters than he’s been against America’s actual enemies.”
Rieckhoff warned that Hegseth’s rhetoric crosses a dangerous line by using the military as a political shield.
“They keep conflating criticism of the mission with attacks on the troops. It’s not the same,” he said. “They’re politicizing the military—and that’s incredibly dangerous for our democracy.”
The backlash comes amid growing questions about the effectiveness of the recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. While Trump declared the mission a success, leaked assessments cast doubt on whether the program was seriously disrupted.
“I don’t know whether the strikes obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” Rieckhoff said. “But I do know what is being obliterated: the Constitution.”
He accused Congress of failing in its duty to act as a check on the president’s war powers, allowing Trump to act unilaterally with little oversight.
“Hegseth should be focused on actual threats like Vladimir Putin, not CNN,” Rieckhoff added. “We’ve worked hard since Vietnam to separate partisan politics from the military. What this administration is doing threatens to undo all of that.”
