'Petty' Pete Hegseth Reportedly Has Pentagon Staffers In A Tizzy Over Immature Behavior

There are probably a few movies that controversial Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hopes folks might compare him to. We'd guess he'd like people to find him reminiscent of characters in "The Godfather," "Scarface," or something similar. Unfortunately for him, he apparently reminds his staffers of "Mean Girls." And, his petty behavior isn't going over well with the people working for him. The Pentagon is apparently feeling a lot more like homeroom these days. An official told Axios, "There's a lot of confusion and head-shaking," adding "it feels so much like petty, high-school or middle-school drama."

Pete Hegseth has embarrassed himself often during his tenure in the Trump Administration, and more than 15 officials from the Department of Defense have reportedly been suddenly fired or quit since the start of Donald Trump's second term as president. For obvious reasons, this instability is creating a lot of discomfort for folks within the government agency. The official explained, "You have this pervasive, 'Oh my gosh, what is the next perceived slight that is going to upset the Mean Girls.'" Suffice it to say, this definitely isn't the ideal energy for the Department of Defense.

There have been many scandals during Donald Trump's second term that took Pete Hegseth's repuation from bad to worse, both in the eyes of the public and for those he works with. Now, word that Hegseth's small-minded, unpredictable behavior is creating bad vibes at the Pentagon comes just weeks after news broke that Pentagon officials were upset by his "reckless" comments about war, per the Daily Mail. Hegseth made bizarre remarks about Iran during a Pentagon prayer service, which involved him calling for "overwhelming violence of action" and requesting that God "pour out your wrath." 

One official with the Army opened up to the Daily Mail about Hegseth's words. "It rattled me, his lack of equanimity, his disregard for the kind of professionalism you need in that position, especially during a war," the official explained, adding, "It rattled me to the core. I think that's true for a lot of folks in the building." Another official's role focuses on overseeing the ethical repercussions of the military's actions, and their take on Hegseth doesn't bode well. "... We have always strived to be principled, not vicious," they explained, noting, "He's making us seem like monsters." With feedback like this, it's no wonder why people at the Pentagon are resigning. And, many of those who remain apparently fear for their jobs. Yet, it sounds like most there would benefit if Hegseth, himself, was the next to go.