For decades, America’s military stood as the world’s preeminent fighting force—an institution of strength, pride, and uncompromising excellence. But under Biden and his allies, our armed forces suffered through years of woke experiments, lowered standards, and misplaced priorities. Now, under President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stepped forward boldly to restore the warrior ethos that made America’s military the envy of the world.
In a recent wide-ranging interview with Fox News host Lara Trump, Secretary Hegseth laid out his vision for reviving the fighting spirit and uncompromising standards that once defined our armed forces. His message was clear and unapologetic: The era of identity politics and virtue-signaling in the Pentagon is over. Under Trump’s leadership, the mission is simple—build the most lethal, capable, and disciplined military the world has ever known.
Secretary Hegseth praised President Trump’s decisive leadership, particularly highlighting the recent highly successful Operation Midnight Hammer. In June, American B-2 bombers delivered a crippling blow to Iranian nuclear facilities, setting back Tehran’s dangerous ambitions by years. Hegseth rightly called this mission one of the “most brilliant efforts in our military history,” emphasizing how Trump’s decisive leadership and the unmatched skill of our military personnel have opened new opportunities for American strength abroad.
But the Trump administration isn’t content merely to celebrate success. Hegseth knows the work ahead will be tough. After years of left-wing undermining, restoring discipline and high standards requires a determined, unyielding commitment. And make no mistake—that commitment is exactly what Hegseth brings to the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled new details about his goals of reviving the “warrior ethos inside the military” during a recent interview with Fox News.
Chatting with Fox News host Lara Trump for a wide-ranging discussion on his first several months with the Trump administration, Hegseth reflected on how it was the “honor of a lifetime” to serve as the defense secretary of the United States.
“Our commitment has been clear from the minute, from the first minute of the administration,” he said on “My View with Lara Trump.” “Restore the warrior ethos, rebuild our military—which President Trump did in the first term, and we’re doing again.”
Hegseth credited Trump’s leadership and the pilots of the B-2 bombers that conducted the U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities back in June. He praised the mission, Operation Midnight Hammer, as one of the “most brilliant efforts in our military history.”
“All the love and credit go to those in uniform who pulled it off,” Hegseth said. “But again, our commander-in-chief set the tone, and now we’ve got a whole different set of opportunities.”
Hegseth touched upon how he is making sure U.S. troops are kept to the highest physical standards, and the guidance he is giving to keep that promise.
“One of the most basic things you can do in the military is do PT in the morning. And that’s what we’re trying to do, get back to basics,” he said.
Hegseth also stressed that physical standards apply equally to both men and women, and that everyone, regardless of their identity, simply must be qualified to serve.
“Carrying a rucksack or carrying an artillery round; carrying your buddy across the battlefield—it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman,” he added. “You just need to be able to meet the standard.”
Hegseth gave credit to his family for supporting him as he leads the Pentagon.
“It’s been a family thing from the beginning,” Hegseth explained. “I couldn’t do this without my wife. She’s been right there by my side—been my rock. But then also, you know, the kids don’t know what to think of it, right? I’m just dad to them.”
While Hegseth praised the U.S. military’s efforts thus far in the Trump administration, he insisted his mission of instilling a long-term “warrior ethos” into the organization is very much still a work-in-progress.
“Driving change into institutions is a difficult thing to do. The response of the American people, the immediate response to recruiting—it inspires the building,” he said. “There’s a ton of work left to be done to sort of truly put the ‘America First’ fingerprints stamp on the Defense Department. We’ve just gotten started.”
Secretary Hegseth is exactly right. The warrior ethos doesn’t just mean stronger soldiers—it means a stronger America. Under the Trump administration, our military is finally returning to its roots: discipline, duty, patriotism, and strength. America First means putting our troops first—giving them the resources, training, and leadership they need to win decisively on the battlefield.
Hegseth understands that a military built on identity politics and woke ideology cannot defend America’s interests abroad. The world is too dangerous, too unpredictable, and too unforgiving for weakness. Our adversaries—China, Russia, Iran—aren’t concerned with diversity quotas or pronoun sensitivity. They’re focused on power, strength, and dominance. America must never forget that our military isn’t a social experiment—it’s the shield that protects our freedom and the sword that defends our nation.
President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are committed to restoring the warrior ethos precisely because they recognize this fundamental truth. Our military will again be unmatched and unstoppable—because that’s what America demands, and it’s what our brave men and women in uniform deserve.
