That's some impressive retreating, Pete. Not to mention the verbal abasement. Stay in your lane, Pete. Your god is a jealous god. BRUSSELS — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday walked back a key piece of his dramatic remarks here at NATO headquarters a day prior, leaving open the possibility of Ukraine joining the military alliance after previously saying the United States does not believe membership for Kyiv is a “realistic outcome” in any peace deal with Russia. Hegseth’s clarification appeared designed to assuage the backlash, in Europe and in Washington, ignited by his remarks hours before President Donald Trump announced his administration had jump-started negotiations to end the three-year war. But a short time later, Trump told reporters at the White House that he didn’t see any way “that a country in Russia’s position” could allow Ukraine to join NATO. “I don’t see that happening,” the president said. Hegseth, in his remarks to media on Thursday, said he wanted to be clear about “something that was stated in my remarks here” the day before. “These negotiations are led by President Trump,” he said. “Everything is on the table in his conversations with [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and [Ukrainian President] Volodymyr Zelensky. What he decides to allow or not allow is at the purview of the leader of the free world — of President Trump.”
ready, aim shoot just the guy you want in charge of your nuclear arsenal. an alcoholic reality star. I don't doubt he heard that sentiment expressed by big daddy, maybe was even told to float it so he could take the lashing for the first exposure to his end game. Next time it comes out, it won't be so shocking... drunk with the laucnh codes, kind of like having a vaccine denier in charge when bird flu getting ready to mutate to H2H or a foreign agent in charge of your intelligence services or a J6 participant in charge of the AG office or a sex trafficker in charge of the DOJ (dodged one, guess child sex trafficking was just too much)
When you have no strategy and a guy in office that is unqualified its easy to get off of an ever-changing message. We are on week 1 of his tenure and this is a huge blunder already. The country is in big trouble.
We are all stuck with these people. What is the matter with you. Saw an interview with Nicholas Kristoff yesterday where he talked about children dying in Africa because of the shutdown of USAID. I could go on and on and you would say he is owning the libs. Where is the decency - he did not run on this.
remind you daily how much you are wrong in your choices is entertaining enough at this point so when you have the pope on one side and MAGA on the other, who you gonna believe? just say it out loud for entertainment value
Honest question, why would he spout off like that? That seems like Negotiating Tactics 101 From National Review. “Hegseth’s role is also to speak for the Trump administration and establish crystal-clear U.S. policy in the realm of military and security affairs. That’s why Hegseth’s last 48 hours have been so surprising — and so disappointing. Yesterday, in prepared remarks to a gathering of allied defense ministers at NATO headquarters,……..Now, reasonable minds can disagree on those pronouncements. I happen to think they are outcomes that are perhaps more likely than not, but I don’t see why the U.S. should be unilaterally offering major concessions to Russia up front without getting anything substantial in return. The maneuver has more than a whiff of appeasement. But, amazingly, not 24 hours after Hegseth’s groundbreaking policy announcement, the secretary of defense walked back the key points of yesterday’s speech in a Q&A session at NATO HQ.” https://www.nationalreview.com/corn...-policy-announcement-on-ukraine-and-nato/amp/ comment from Repub congressman… “I’d prefer we don’t give away negotiating positions before we actually get started” Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi).
Most of the reprimand would be behind-the-scenes, of course. I'm speculating here, based on Trump's past behavior. He doesn't seem the sort who would be satisfied with delivering a quiet reprimand. His supporters seem to approve and applaud his aggressive style. Hegseth better watch his step. The personnel revolving door from Trump's first Administration might be cranking up.
This is exactly what we expected from this administration. They are crystal clear that they have no idea what they’re doing.
More confusing words from Pete: “We can talk all we want about values. Values are important,” Hegseth said. “But you can’t shoot values, you can’t shoot flags, and you can’t shoot strong speeches. There is no replacement for hard power. As much as we may not want to like the world we live in, in some cases, there’s nothing like hard power.” Can someone translate this? Wtf is he talking about, with his shooting values and flags? Is this a tortured metaphor? "There's nothing like hard power," must refer to our "big stick." "Speak softly," is for losers.
To be fair, we're talking about a convicted criminal former reality show host, who is babbling at a not-convicted criminal, who is just a former fake news network babbler. Both sexual predators. They each probably know less about Russia, NATO or Ukraine than at least half the people on this board. For sure, the one who wears Depends and a bra does. At this point it's just a comedy show. Led by a makeup wearing clown.
That might the point of hiring such cranks - Trump's M.O. from reality TV is to fire people and for some reason his followers never question how a guy could be this bad at hiring in the first place, they just think that is what a "boss" does. Totally for the entertainment value, and he doesn't have to feel sorry firing people who never should have had the positions in the first place. Of course normal people hire competent people, but Trump has to cover his own incompetence with firing his hires. Necessary to deflect criticism from the person doing the "thinking" that comes out in in the words he puts in his puppet's mouths.
Here's a Republican I can respect and his take (from NewsMex no less) on Hegseth: https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/don-bacon-pete-hegseth-ukraine/2025/02/13/id/1199038/