Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth explained how the strategy for peace has changed after “the chaos” left behind by Joe Biden.
Hegseth appeared on Fox News‘s Life, Liberty, and Levin Saturday to describe the changes he’s making as the second youngest Defense Secretary in the history of the United States.
“We’re sitting on four years — this is to put it kindly, to put it kindly — four years of deferred maintenance. To put it honestly, four years of weakness that’s created chaos and opportunities for our enemies to enrich themselves, specifically the Iranians,” Hegseth said. “So, the whole region looked at the chaos of a president effectively running the White House on autopen and they said, ‘Now is the time to advance our interests.’”
Hegseth pointed out that “there was no aggression that happened under President Trump” during his first term. Instead, under then-President Joe Biden, war broke out between Ukraine and Russia, Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, and U.S. troops exited Afghanistan in what has been a highly-criticized strategy.
“And to our adversaries and peer adversaries: we have the capabilities. America will out-innovate you, outgrow you, and out-muscle you with what we have in the future,” Hegseth said. “And then you’re strategic about where you project power. … We can’t be everywhere. We are not trying to be everywhere. We’re not trying to nation build or intervene everywhere. We want strategic locations from which to project power and defend American interests and allies, and then we’re asking our allies to step up.”
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As a result, Hegseth is expected to unveil a new sixth generation fighter jet, the F-47, which, in an announcement at the White House, he claimed will be “more lethal” and “more cost effective” than the F-22.
While the Defense Department hasn’t issued the secretary’s next travel advisory, Hegseth teased he will travel to the Indo-Pacific “very, very soon.” This comes after Hegseth delayed his intended visit to Israel to accompany President Donald Trump on his recent tour of the Middle East.
