Week of April 16, 2026

From the publisher’s desk

Can we talk about Pete Hegseth for a moment?

Here are a few news pieces about him that were published today alone: First up: a New York Times piece (gift link). Note, especially, the final paragraph here:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday renewed his threat to attack Iran’s electrical infrastructure if the cease-fire between Washington and Tehran failed.

“Our forces are maximally postured to restart combat operations should this new Iranian regime choose poorly and not agree to a deal,” Mr. Hegseth said during a briefing to reporters at the Pentagon. “We are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation and on your energy industry.”

“We’d rather not have to do it,” he added, “but we’re ready to go at the command of our president and at the push of a button.”

Under international law, intentionally targeting a country’s energy infrastructure could constitute a war crime.

Sigh.

Next, here’s a piece from The Hill:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday complained about an “endless stream of garbage” from the media in its coverage of the Iran war, comparing the Pentagon press corps to the Pharisees, the biblical Jewish group that often clashed with Jesus.

“As I just can’t help but notice the endless stream of garbage, the relentlessly negative coverage you cannot resist peddling, despite the historic and important success of this effort and the success of our troops,” Hegseth said during a briefing at the Pentagon. “Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what side some of you are actually on.”

He also compared journalists to the Pharisees, saying he drew inspiration from a sermon in church on Sunday that relayed a biblical passage depicting Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath Day, which the Pharisees came to watch.

“The Pharisees—the so-called and self-appointed elites of their time—they were there to witness, to write everything down, to report,” the Defense chief continued. “But … even though they witnessed a literal miracle, it didn’t matter. They were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda.”

He added that reporters “are just like these Pharisees,” as “politically motivated animus for President Trump nearly completely blinds you from the brilliance of our American warriors.”

Finally, here’s a piece from The Hollywood Reporter:

Pete Hegseth—always ready to get medieval on someone’s ass—quoted a fake Bible verse from Pulp Fiction while leading a prayer service at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

The Secretary of War cited an iconic and not-actually-biblical monologue from Quentin Tarantino’s beloved 1994 film. It’s the speech given by fearsome hitman Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) to his victims right before he murders them.

Hegseth sets up the quote by saying it was a prayer recited by Sandy 1—one of the US Air Force Combat Search and Rescue teams involved in the rather extraordinary rescue of a U.S. Air Force airman who was trapped behind enemy lines in Iran earlier this month.

“They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17,” Hegseth told his audience. “It reads—and pray with me please—‘the path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of camaraderie and duty shepherds the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother, and you will know my call sign is Sandy 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee. Amen.’”

There’s a lot to unpack here. In just the last two days, the secretary of defense war has:

• Threatened to commit war crimes (something he’s done before).

• Accused reporters of being Pharisee-like traitors who are against the United States (the First Amendment be damned!).

• Invoked a Pulp Fiction (!) speech at a Pentagon prayer service (?!), possibly confusing the words of the Bible and the words of Samuel L. Jackson in the process.

And now, as reported by CBS News:

House Democrats unveiled articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, making serious allegations about his handling of the war in Iran and his leadership more broadly.

The resolution, led by Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, lists six impeachment articles:

• Unauthorized war against Iran and reckless endangerment of U.S. service members;

• Violations of the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians;

• Negligence and reckless handling of sensitive military information;

• Obstruction of congressional oversight;

• Abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces;

• Conduct bringing disrepute upon the U.S. and its armed forces. …

The seven-page impeachment resolution claims Hegseth engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors, the constitutional basis for impeachment. It says he has “demonstrated a willful disregard for the Constitution, abused the powers of his office, and acted in a manner grossly incompatible with the rule of law.”

There’s no chance this impeachment attempt will get any traction, at least not before the midterm elections—even though there’s ample evidence, with more coming almost every day, that it should.

—Jimmy Boegle, publisher/executive editor