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Pentagon cuts off Hegseth town hall webcast after transparency pledge
Pentagon
Pentagon cuts off Hegseth town hall webcast after transparency pledge
By Stephen Losey
Feb 7, 2025 at 01:25 PM
The Pentagon cut off a webcast of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s first town hall with troops and department employees Friday as soon as questions began. (Alex Brandon/AP)
The Pentagon cut off a webcast of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s first town hall with troops and department employees Friday as soon as questions began, and shortly after Hegseth promised to be transparent with service members and the public.
Hegseth delivered about 15 minutes of opening remarks, which touched on issues such as grooming standards, readiness, border security and the administration’s desire to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs from the military, before opening the floor to questions.
The first person to respond, who identified himself as an official in the Air Force’s strategic deterrence and nuclear integration section, asked whether the administration planned to be more assertive in the “gray zone” — short of actual warfare — to deter China and Russia.
“That’s a good question,” Hegseth said before the feed cut out, leaving only music playing. … A Defense Department spokesperson confirmed to Defense News shortly afterward that the broadcast’s halt was not an accident or technical glitch.
{snip}
Pentagon cuts off Hegseth town hall webcast after transparency pledge
By Stephen Losey
Feb 7, 2025 at 01:25 PM
The Pentagon cut off a webcast of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s first town hall with troops and department employees Friday as soon as questions began. (Alex Brandon/AP)
The Pentagon cut off a webcast of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s first town hall with troops and department employees Friday as soon as questions began, and shortly after Hegseth promised to be transparent with service members and the public.
Hegseth delivered about 15 minutes of opening remarks, which touched on issues such as grooming standards, readiness, border security and the administration’s desire to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs from the military, before opening the floor to questions.
The first person to respond, who identified himself as an official in the Air Force’s strategic deterrence and nuclear integration section, asked whether the administration planned to be more assertive in the “gray zone” — short of actual warfare — to deter China and Russia.
“That’s a good question,” Hegseth said before the feed cut out, leaving only music playing. … A Defense Department spokesperson confirmed to Defense News shortly afterward that the broadcast’s halt was not an accident or technical glitch.
{snip}
2 replies
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