we just have to believe them and not question their version of events? doesn't seem particularly 'free press'-y. seems more 'state-media'-y.

2000s nostalgia is fully in swing, i see

“Why is no one else licking the underside of our Dear Leader’s balls with me? What’s wrong with you people? Don’t you like taint?”

"...and the wafting up from his freshly full Depends? It's our duty as good Americans to wave that flag harder and lick with appreciation and freedom, right?"

Sooo...does that mean the whole thing was for the TACO and a hug for Bibi?

These people have made it shameful to fly the American flag and scary to fly any other flag they don’t approve of personally. I won’t fly another flag until a certain traitor is dead. Yes, I said it. DEAD

It's a reality show for the Honey Boo Boo crowd. Its all performative. Never substantive. They put on a show for the cameras & the base, they lie and pretend to be something they're not, they lie pretending they actually accomplished something when they haven't, and the base eats it up like candy.

There it is. Don't report the news, wave the flag. Praise our master 24/7.

Empty symbolic gestures play well for the reality show presidency.

Does it bother anyone else that hegseth is really stupid and trying to sound something else.

Yes.

You know, just like Pyongyang.

He doesn't care about the truth. He cares about the narrative he needs to peddle to appease his audience of one. youtu.be/Sy6kR_MuIAQ

Trump’s admission that Iran asked if 1:00 would be okay to bomb makes it sound like the whole thing was a set up to fool Netanyahu.

And USA.

Yeah, they should bring in and wave HUGE US flags so damn hard, it musses up his hair. Just RIDICULOUS amounts of flag-waving.. It's all a joke, a bloody circus.

In the past, Israel conducted Operations Opera and Orchard without giving us notice. We’ll find out one day Rising Lion was well underway before we knew and Trump jumped on the bandwagon when it was producing results. No way Bibi trusted the Signalgate crowd with operational security.

📌

During his time on Fox was Hegseth ever critical of Biden?

Fox. Do you need to ask???

No critical thinking allowed.

Clearly doesn’t understand the role of a free and independent media.

“The intelligence community, our staff and everybody else are doing all the assessments necessary to make sure that mission was indeed successful.” Sure sounds like cherry picking facts to write your own narrative after the fact. But who knows? Maybe there’re honest people with no agenda.

That sounds like such a Fox thing: "Wave an American flag." Do I do that before or after I bleach my hair and get fillers?

'Murka. We don't got to BE good; we just have to be DRESSED good.

And get an idiotic pocket square like mine so we know you’re super patriotic.

He’s a dick

so they want fake news now? im so confused lol

Always.

CRACKHEAD!

"Wear an American flag pocket square so looks it like military service bar pins from a distance."

Rookie numbers.

Sorry, I forgot to alt text this one. I’ve done it here for those who can’t see the pic.

I see 3 “cats out of a tree” ribbons, but only two “emptied magazine at candy bar holder” ones. Slacker.

Well known traitor for Americans and Russians at the same time

Does he not even hear himself speak??? He contradicts their assessment himself 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️

"Come on guys your harshing the vibe!"

Hegseth blows his nose in an American Flag. I'll pass.

More journalists should ridicule and berate Hegseth

Strange position for the White House to take - call an early morning press conference and march your SecDef out there to tell them not to report the truth when it's leaked to them by several corroborated sources, and to wave your flags and think of freedom?

No...we will supervise and ask questions. Thank you very much

this ain’t fox and friends, tiger.

Oh yes it is. Trump hired mainly from Fox Entertainment.

Hmm did I miss the maga cult’s nationwide victory parades that happened after this special pleading? How about the 24 hour coverage by maga news stations interviewing the military? Anyone see an increase in American flags in neighborhoods or businesses? No?

"Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty.” - Hannah Arendt

Reporters research ask and report truth. No blind flag waving.

Such an insecure loser

just what did you accomplish, drunky mcpukeshoes

Yeah I need to know what lobotomized jingoistic cheering feels like, plz report on it

The press has a duty to the people to keep the government transparent and honest, unlike FOX, they are not PR people.

“And, while we’re at it, don’t forget that Obama had nothing to do with the killing of bin Laden - that was Navy SEALs only, no credit to Obama who didn’t do anything, so everyone please stop saying that.”

The troops did their duty as commanded. The results of their mission are what they are. Tell the trutrh. #HoldCaineAccountable #HoldHegsethAccountable #HoldTrumpAccountable

Yeah, gosh, that would be great. Wouldn’t it. I mean that’s not their fucking job but

I don't understand. If the first reports/assessments from a strike is almost always wrong, then surely Trump's initial claims of total obliteration is most likely wrong?

i would tell Pete did you get drunk last night again? You're statement is incoherent.

He is upset because he tried to have his Obama taking out Bin Laden moment and no one is showing up to his pity party.

Zelenskyy’s drone attack on the Russian bomber fleet was much more impressive and less expensive than whatever Pete and Trump are trying to exaggerate about this little Iran mission.

100%

This guy is such a lightweight.

Talk about the success of our warriors and tell their stories while waving the American flag? That's what Petey wants, yet all the administration and other republicans have done is praise Trump. I'm not hearing any stories about the warriors, just distractions about the "total obliteration".

Hegseth doesn’t understand that the fourth estate is not a copy of the second

Slight misunderstanding here of the role of the press in a democracy. He's describing the expectations in North Korea, not the United States. Unamerican and dumb as a rock.

It’s the Fox White House™️

how about no "mission accomplished" before it is determined accomplished? can we start there?

The accomplishment being: There are some very expensive holes in the Iranian wasteland.

“Who will be our Leni Riefenstahl? The Trump Reich deserves one.”

This guy is hammered or high.

An alternate take for #PeterTheDrunkard is: "Instead of lying, tell the truth"

Praise Golden Leader

So, don't report.

Whiskey Pete is at it again!

Celebrate accomplishments that have not yet been confirmed after he just agreed with the reporter that initial reports sometimes are grossly incorrect. Is he drunk?

Yay we won! Only thing left is that Nobel Peace prize

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Hegseth has no concept of how a democracy works. The leaders should always be criticised, and their actions should always be questioned. That's how we know when it's time to get rid of the bad seeds who misrepresent the people and who wrongly decide what is in the people's best interest.

He knows how democracy works. MAGA leadership wants to kill our democracy.

I really don't think he does. He's just another brainless MAGA pawn. I'm unsure who the real puppet master behind Trump & company is, but it surely isn't Trump or any of his outspoken clowns. Just listen to the garbage they speak, and their inability to handle arguments! Who lurks in the shadows?

The Heritage Foundation wrote Project 2025. Some of the oligarchs like Peter Thiel. Curtis Yarvin...

Why can’t we be like China and Russia?

We are living in truly moronic times.

Be a blind “patriot.” That’s all we ask of you.

It is not the job of a Free Press to ‘waive the flag’ That is the job of State Media in authoritarian countries like Russia and North Korea

We will be laughed at for generations for allowing this gaggle of idiots anywhere near Washington DC.

I hope there is a hell, and that the entire current administration is going there. Soon.

Did you even say thank you once?

Echoes of “support the troops (meaning, the president)” jingoism from W’s Iraq war. Let’s not be fooled again.

Be proud of my failures, daaaaaaaaad.

No. This is serious shit, Pete. Not some laundry you don’t want to do. I’m not clapping for planes like a 3 year old. Live life so we don’t have to care what you’re doing.

The Regime carried out a reckless, unnecessary, and EXPENSIVE attack on Iran to distract from the constitutional violations and lawlessness here at home. They are committing treason.

DISTRACTION...DISTRACTION...DISTRACTION

Or he could just invite Ayatollah Ali Khamenei into a Signal chat to seek verification.

Don’t look behind the curtain - just worship Oz the great and powerful.

We're doing all the assessments necessary to come to our preconceived conclusion.

Let's not forget we likely wouldn't be at this dangerous and messy point if the insecure and narcissistic Felon hadn't pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by Obama/Kerry. As for Hegseth this morning -- nauseatingly obsequious doesn't even begin to cover it....

Waving the flag ❓ isn’t that exactly what we accuse the media of doing in those “other” countries?The weekend co-host of Fox & Friends apprently is not qualified to lecture on the media’s role in a democracy. He’s still just “fart boy in a suit” 😂 unqualified, unprofessional, and undisciplined. Sad

Well, isn’t it because Trump could't wait to say “we obliterated it” that reporters started poking around? Maybe tell your boss to wait for the "complete" account before declaring victory. Also Pete, a journalist’s job in a democracy is to inform, question, expose, and explain not wave flags.

🤬🤢

This is America Pete. Fuck you.

Absolutely nothing

Took down my flags when Roe was overturned. They won't go back up until the GOP is destroyed.

I deserve fifth place!

I assume he did this when he was a host on Faux News? There is probably video…

"Sure, we escalated for no reason and also failed at what we were attempting, but if you could do a little nationalism anyway, that would be great."

There's always a failing wannabe who will do and say anything to win an appointment and adulation of The Bad Man.

Fuck no. I am not proud to be an American, because America is a failure. There is no liberty, justice, nor prosperity. My loyalty solely belongs to good people and institutions.

North Korean style: stop thinking and cheer the leader 😂

You don’t wave the flag of victory until you absolutly fucking know the outcome you stupid fucking drunk ass. Fuck this guy. Piece of shit. Do America a favor and fall down some stairs. Fuck all this lot is disgusting. They aren’t American, they aren’t smart, and they sure as hell aren’t qualified.

If Israel is nuked next week, this fukker should be put on trial.

Since when is the Defense Intelligence Agency biased? He’s in charge of it.

has anyone heard so much bs ??

Celebrate us, do not pay attention to facts. What a dipshit.

What he really means, roll it up and blindfold yourselves with it.

These bozos in this administration are beyond incompetent and thin skinned.

definitely don't look at the man behind the curtain who is eating the chess pieces

It’d be easier to be proud of what they’ve accomplished if they’d bother to give independent evidence that they’ve accomplished what they claim.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

First reports are often inaccurate. Except for our immediate first report that the entire program was obliterated for eternity. 100% confidence in that one.

Exactly. I can't understand why no reporters have challenged them on this very obvious point. It's not a difficult question to ask.

That is not their job, and it's good to see that some of them, at least, are finally remembering that.

Isn't what he's saying you shouldn't do, exactly what Trump did?

Sounds kinda DEI to me.

Should we all hold up a Bible while we’re at it?

Ok I am proud, what did we accomplish?

The simplest fools on the planet

Go have a drink, you'll feel better.

He's like a man on a stage at a grand piano that he never learned to play.....

🤦‍♀️

And tell the American people exactly what we want them to hear.

"Just like in North Korea...!"

Nevermind truth or facts...

Like we needed more evidence that Donald Trump and his MAGA sycophants want North Korea style state media in America! That ain't gonna happen motherfuckers!

Unqualified clown.

Oh, look an authoritarian is upset that people are questioning an authoritarian.

He should get a pass for this one - he worked at Fox, so this is all he knows about how media types should react

Vietnam 2.0

That’s not the ground Hegseth chose when he worked at Fox. Why does he expect different treatment than he dished out

So the "Question Everything" cult is supposed to stop questioning anything.

So, he thinks it's a pep rally and not a press conference.

By Jingo! youtu.be/uspC_JwKbwQ?...

Fuck him 🏴‍☠️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏁🇺🇦🇮🇪

We need more forced patriotism.

Appoint a drunk clown, expect a clown show.

Coked out of his mind.

"I can tell you what the general said in the situation room" JFC.

We’re proud when we actually accomplish something. You know what the worst part of this is you know what makes us different from the animals Petey kegsbreath they would never put a fucking moron like you in leading the pack.

😂

"Wave an American flag. Cut a little handkerchief out of it and stuff it in your suit pocket. Blow your nose on it when you need to."

Yeah, we were burned by that back in early 2000's.

I love this reporter

When Heg talks to the press, he always reminds me of my least prepared college students (male) giving presentations when they hadn't done the work. Squint, look grimly serious, dart glances at your chicken scratch notes, quickly realize they won't help you. Squint and nod some more.

Reminds me of Dwight youtu.be/LYyZqlyDEL4?...

Seek the truth media.

I put my flag in storage until this country rids itself of all the synopaths in this regime

The spin is in...Whiskey Pete following the FOX Mantra

Be still and don’t ask questions.

But nothing was accomplished

"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel". Samuel Johnson 1775.

If there were professionals in the roles he & trump are cosplaying, no one would need to be forced to play this game of patriot patty.

Hegseth is so patriotic he's replacing the bamboo umbrella in his cocktail with an American flag.

That not why the Founding Fathers enshrined Freedom of the Press in the First Amendment The press is their to hold idiots with power accountable

He is so Fox indoctrinated, this is all he knows. It is the only ‘reporting’ he understands.

"Don't questions us, just obey." - Hegseth, basically.

What a fkn idiot😂

"Why do you hate 9/11?" www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PYb...

Deplorable regime. When we need actual facts, corrupt trump and cronies, attack the fact finders. Unworthy of our country.

And that was?

yeah, no! that’s not how we work.

Wow. Just wow. Get in line people. Don’t you dare question our lies.🫡

#KegsBreath 🍻🍺

This makes sense. Hegseth is just urging the mainstream media to do what he was doing on Fox News.

Nothing to be proud of, you put their lives at risk based on an intuition!

Stick the flag up that drunk’s arse!

Why is he rocking back and forth constantly? Is he hyped up on adderall or does he just need to pee real bad?

"Critical coverage" being their mild pushback on trumps obvious dishonesty.

about the mildest even possible.

What is this nonsense background?!

Did Fox News choose the back drop?

Big question-was uranium moved prior to strike.

Since the orange idiot so totally projected his intention to strike I'd say it was likely moved. I doubt their government is as stupid as ours.

About 20 or so trucks worth.

Essentially asking the mainstream media to function as State TV.

Welp! Add another shrimp 🍤 on the Barbie….. 😂 The Leopards are feasting.

Ranting like a man trying to keep his job.

What a pab 🤣

Don't envy anyone from Trump's cabinet who is trying to cover for his lies. The demented Orangegutan wanted to have his job done Bush moment and failed miserably when caight lying.

It almost feels like they're setting the stage for massive accusations of "treason".

I’ve never and will never do anything that a drunk “urges”.

Not how it works in this country, Petey.

How pathetic and embarrassing this entire incompetent regime is!

But they claimed it was a success immediately before assessing anything...

Trump DUI hire Hegseth urges America to wave the flag and ignore the chaos behind the curtain.

Another unqualified fox news liar. In 10 years people will be incredulous that hegseth was in this position.

Ten?!

It makes my head hurt when he says stuff

DUI Pete Hegseth is a LIAR,TRAITOR & a trump sock puppet. He brought America into a war! We are all in grave danger! He’s an idiot,drunk & fool. He’s a clown,disgrace,& utterly unqualified. He made America & all of us less safe by his reckless incompetence. He’s an embarrassment with no shame.

Hegseth: "You remember our great victory in Saigon in '75? They said we lost that one too"

🎶 Be all that you can be in the press core!🎶

‘Don’t do your job, just join our propaganda team.’

OMG.

“You should all run out and buy ridiculous pockets squares that look like American flags. And Brylcreem. Lots and lots of Brylcreem!!”

I'm old enough to remember when you didn't wear the American flag as clothing. Pins or patches, OK - but Hegseth's perennial pocket piece would likely be over the line. Plus it implies that he'll blow his nose on the American flag - and guess what? He will, and has.

All the WWII vets I grew up around would have made me take it off at the very least.

Same here, Don.

Wonder how many cans of Jeremiah Weed he shotgunned before this presser….

This is supposed to be a happy occasion, let's not bicker and argue over who didn't kill what. PEThEtic.