“Despicable. This is supposed to be a moment to honor the D-Day heroes, not win political points,” a user added, and one person noted, “He couldn’t have embarrassed the US any more than with this.”
The 46-year-old’s tenure as Secretary of Defense has featured more downs than ups, with many questioning if he should remain in the difficult role. Just last month, Hegseth found himself following another poor choice of words during a speech at the West Point military academy in New York.
Hegseth used the speech to focus on the graduates’ weight, declaring, “You are fit, not fat. You are disciplined, not distracted.
He then called out identity politics and told the cadets, “The battlefield does not grade on a curve, and you can’t throw your pronouns at the enemy. Combat is the ultimate test, and our best Americans must ace it. They embraced the DEI craze and tried to introduce diversity and inclusion studies, but no more.”