Hegseth is painting Iran war in ‘rosy terms’ to keep Trump happy: report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is in the habit of relating developments in the Iran war to President Donald Trump in “rosy terms” to keep the commander-in-chief happy, according to a report.

The Atlantic reports that Hegseth is not well-liked at the White House and that some insiders feel he is not always transparent about the progress of the conflict, which has largely been mired in stalemate for months, preferring to place a positive spin on events wherever possible.

“Hegseth is good at telling the president what he wants to hear,” one individual described as an outside adviser told the magazine.

It also reports that Trump has taken to sounding out his allies on their opinion of the job performance of Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, behavior he is known to engage in prior to making personnel changes.

The duo was the most resoundingly upbeat about the war in its earliest stages but neither has held a press conference since May.

Responding, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell rejected the reporting and told The Independent: “The American people don’t buy The Atlantic’s lies – by every measurable metric, the outcome of the War Department’s ongoing operations in Iran is decisive success.

“Unlike previous commanders-in-chief, who talked tough but didn’t act, President Trump had the courage to end Iran’s 47 years of terror and to ensure they never obtain a nuclear weapon. The admitted outsiders and anonymous sources cited in this ’reporting’ are just dead wrong.

“Secretary Hegseth always provides the President and White House senior leaders the full operational picture, and the entire department is proud to carry out these historic operations on behalf of the commander-in-chief and the American people.”

Insiders told CNN last month that White House staff feared the president would go on a “rampage” if Republicans performed poorly at this week’s midterms and would seek out a scapegoat to blame for costing him the House and Senate, with Hegseth’s name among several mentioned as possible targets for his wrath.

The administration launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran in tandem with Israel on February 28 and originally promised it would only take a matter of weeks to defang Tehran and prevent it from being able to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Nine months later, there is still no end in sight, with at least 23 U.S. soldiers killed and thousands more wounded, military assets and those of regional allies damaged, and the American public suffering from the blockading of the Strait of Hormuz by having to pay more for gas, exacerbating an already trying cost of living crisis at home.

Should voters react by sweeping Democrats to power in Congress, as polling suggests they will, Hegseth could be the target of an impeachment push on Capitol Hill, a prospect he has already reportedly considered sidestepping by eyeing Marsha Blackburn’s Tennessee Senate seat should it become available if she wins the race to become the Volunteer State’s new governor.

Last week’s departure of Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon’s top military planner, underscored the ongoing perception of chaos at the DOD on Hegseth’s watch, which has seen swathes of top generals and admirals forced out as the secretary fights culture war skirmishes and attempts to reinstill a “warfighter” mentality.

“Why would you ask such a stupid question?” the president huffed, throwing up his hands. “Let’s say I did, would I tell you? Let’s say I didn’t, would I tell you? I can’t tell you that… It’s not a question for The New York Times.”