Story perspectives

Kendall Slams Hegseth for Politicizing Military Leadership

9/7/2026

Left

Hegseth Politicizes Military

Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of politicizing the U.S. military on ABC’s This Week, September 6, 2026.
Critics say Hegseth’s cultural-war agenda has harmed service members, especially women and Black officers, and endangers overall military readiness.
Tillis called Hegseth’s actions a leadership void and pressed President Donald Trump for his dismissal.
Experts called the 227-person boat strike extrajudicial and condemned a strike killing ~170 Iranian children.

Right

Hegseth Politicizes

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of politicizing the U.S. military on ABC’s This Week, September 6, 2026.
Right-leaning coverage notes Republican Senator Thom Tillis urging President Donald Trump to replace Hegseth, saying his leadership creates a void.
Anna Kelly said Trump and Hegseth reversed DEI policies, restoring a Department of War.
Dan Driscoll resigned, praising Trump and Hegseth; a source said he raised readiness concerns.

Center

Hegseth Politicizes

Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of politicizing the U.S. military on ABC’s This Week on September 6, 2026.
Representative Don Bacon called Hegseth’s firings morally wrong and said he would not serve on Hegseth’s team.
Kendall said Hegseth dismissed 25 senior officers and cut them from promotion lists, causing anxiety.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned after months of friction with Hegseth over senior personnel decisions.

Blindspot

Legal experts described the 227-person boat strike campaign ordered by Hegseth as extrajudicial killings.
Reports linked Hegseth’s “maximum lethality” doctrine to a Tomahawk missile strike that killed about 170 children at an Iranian elementary school.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center- and Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The War Powers Resolution, passed after secret Nixon-ordered Cambodia bombings, was enacted on 7 November 1973 when Congress overrode Nixon’s veto with a two-thirds majority in both chambers. The law forces the president to notify Congress within 48 hours and limits undeclared deployments to 60 days, a rule invoked during the 1999 Kosovo bombing and cited in today’s criticism of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s politicization of the military.

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Hegseth Politicizes Military

Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of politicizing the U.S. military on ABC’s This Week, September 6, 2026.
Critics say Hegseth’s cultural-war agenda has harmed service members, especially women and Black officers, and endangers overall military readiness.
Tillis called Hegseth’s actions a leadership void and pressed President Donald Trump for his dismissal.
Experts called the 227-person boat strike extrajudicial and condemned a strike killing ~170 Iranian children.

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