The Political Missions of the New Secretary of Defense

Pete Hegseth issued the following press release upon taking control of the Pentagon.

Much to critique here on its face, which I do below. And it’s worth reminding folks of what Senator Mitch McConnell, who voted against Hegseth for this role, said:

Mr. Hegseth provided no substantial observations on how to defend Taiwan or the Philippines against a Chinese attack, or even whether he believes the United States should do so. He failed, for that matter, to articulate in any detail a strategic vision for dealing with the gravest long-term threat emanating from the P.R.C.

McConnell need not worry. Trump’s China-related political appointments so far have all been uberhawks. And of the handful of restrainers (sane people) who’ve made it into the Trump administration—a phenomenon worth saying more about another day—none are China specialists.

But there’s also a way in which McConnell has lost the plot, believing perhaps too earnestly in the China threat that Washington (both parties) inflates for political purposes.

Hegseth isn’t at the Pentagon to fight a war against China. He’s not even there to ensure the military is capable of filling its historical roles and missions.

There’s a subtext to Hegseth’s statement: His primary and secondary missions are political—the warfighting rhetorical bluster toward China merely helps facilitate them.

So below, I’ll breakdown key portions of this statement. Then, I’ll explain his real missions and how they complement or clash with Pentagon normal business as violence doers in the world.