The Attempts To Subvert Civilian Control Of The Military From The Left Must Stop

On October 30, “Military.com” published one of the most subversive articles from a military publication I have seen. It was a hit piece directed against Trump and Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, and specifically their address to senior military leaders at Quantico on September 30. The radical left, anti-Christian “Military Religious Freedom Foundation” appears to have played the major role, by providing numerous quotes and likely connecting up the subversive anonymous sources. The MRFF website openly bragged: “Prominently featured voices in this tour de force article include MRFF’s Mikey Weinstein and four of MRFF’s esteemed Advisory Board members.” (Military Religious Freedom Foundation, Oct. 30, 2025)

Along with other defamatory hits, the article included bogus allegations of "Christian Nationalism” against Hegseth in keeping with MRFF’s ubiquitous refrain. After Charlie Kirk was assassinated, Weinstein called Kirk a “hateful divider” and was “ashamed” Air Force Academy grads wanted to honor Kirk (Kirk was on the Board of Visitors to the Academy). (Gazette, Oct. 19, 2025)

Ironically the vitriol from within showed the importance of the speech and the need to purge this subversive element from within the US military.

It’s important to understand the purpose and intent of Hegseth’s speech. According to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell (fellow Infantry officer veteran of Afghanistan with Purple Heart and Bronze Star): “(this address) cemented a new but familiar culture we refer to as the warrior ethos. (Hegseth’s) message was simple: promotions and combat assignments will be given based on merit and ability, not diversity quotas, the war on warriors is over; political correctness has no home at the Department of War.

Physical fitness standards will be high, uniform and sex-neutral, ensuring our warriors are prepared to fight and win in any arena, no matter the circumstances. These core principles have been the foundation of our force for generations and drive our entire institution.” Having served for over three decades as an Infantry Officer, I can confirm the dangerous drift from the Warrior Ethos and meritocracy. This problem became distinctively acute during the Obama administration and even worse under Biden.

Most senior officers in attendance would have been promoted to senior leader rank during that time. They needed the emphasis and warning the military was getting back to what made it great. According to White House Spokesperson Anna Kelly: “President Trump was proud to join Secretary Hegseth’s event to reignite warrior ethos within his top brass and reinforce the rigorous standards that once made our military the best in the world,” (Military.com, Oct. 30, 2025)

The quotes from the MRFF associates attacking Hegseth were to be expected. The other anonymous quotes were disturbing. Most insidious was from an anonymous senior leader of the War Department, who demeaned Hegseth as nothing but a “a snot-nosed major in the National Guard”. As a fourth-generation career Army officer (son is a serving Army officer), I am in utter shock at this slight. Civilian control of the military is the bedrock of our Republic and pounded in our heads as military leaders. In response to Hegseth being only a “Major” it’s appropriate to remind “them” that our most influential and impactful US Secretary of War, Elihu Root, was a lawyer without a military background. Root transformed the US military in the early 20th century.

The Secretary of War is expected to be primarily a civilian. Ironically, Hegseth replaced Lloyd Austin, who required a waiver to serve in that position due to his lack of time being retired from the military. As a Secretary of War, Hegseth’s civilian background is what’s most important. He is a Princeton and Harvard grad, a best-selling author, award winning producer, former leader of veterans organizations, and former top cable news host making millions a year.

Like me, Hegseth earned both the Expert Infantryman’s Badge and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (now authorized the Master Combat Infantryman’s Badge) and that is quite unique, hard and dangerous. The snide demeaning of the National Guard by this subversive coward shows further he is not fit to remain.

The following passage from the article gives the depth of the disloyalty and why subversives cannot remain: “The senior Defense Department official told Military.com that they ‘have drawn a line’ and debated their future within the Defense Department, attributing sticking around to maintaining steady employment and a salary. That, along with a sense of patriotism. ‘[I’m] disgusted,’ they said. ‘Where is the outrage on the part of the American people about the way the whole administration is being run?’” “They” don’t seem to have considered that the American people don’t want the continued woke, DEI military.

Though critical of Hegseth ordering the event, the article makes the case for why Hegseth had to make this address in person. In the 2024 election, the American people overwhelmingly rejected the direction of the military so many of these subversives are fighting to maintain. Americans are now voting with their feet in support of the Trump administration’s “Warrior Ethos”: Recruiting has gone from historic lows to bursting at the seams. Unlike the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, our missions like the strike on Iranian nuclear facilities are resounding successes.

Those “leaders” still in the military who don’t support “winning” need to follow what Hegseth told them: “"If the words I'm speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign.”