Top nuclear weapons agency to furlough most staff amid shutdown

18 October 2025 at 00:53

House Republicans pointed to the staff reductions as a national security consequence of the shutdown, pressing Senate Democrats to yield and vote to reopen the government.

House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers and top Republicans highlighted the national security impacts of the government shutdown as the blamed Democrats for the lapse. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Top admiral steps down abruptly amid drug boat strikes

Politico | Defense

By Connor O'Brien and Joe Gould

17 October 2025 at 05:26

Adm. Alvin Holsey oversees Southern Command, where US military strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers at sea have ramped up.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (center), shown at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 8, did not give a reason for the departure of Adm. Alvin Holsey (right), one of the few Black four-star officers in the military.

Hegseth’s plane makes emergency stop in UK

Politico | Defense

By Aaron Pellish

16 October 2025 at 02:53

All passengers, including Hegseth, were safe after the plane landed due to a crack in its windshield.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives to attend a meeting at the NATO Ministers of Defense Summit at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on October 15, 2025.

Hegseth warns of ‘costs on Russia’ in latest sign of shifting US stance

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary and Victor Jack

16 October 2025 at 00:58

The Defense secretary spoke before a meeting of European defense leaders that he has skipped in the past.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks with Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Oct. 15, 2025.

Major media outlets, including Hegseth’s former employer Fox News, decline to sign new Pentagon reporting rules

Politico | Defense

By Cheyanne M. Daniels

15 October 2025 at 04:55

The former employer of the Secretary of Defense joined CNN, ABC and NBC in refusing to sign the agreement.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks as President Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting at the White House, Oct. 9, 2025, in Washington.

Senate passes defense policy bill amid shutdown, troop pay standoff

Politico | Defense

By Connor O'Brien

10 October 2025 at 10:25

The Senate and House must now negotiate a compromise defense bill over the coming months.

Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and ranking Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island reached a deal to pass their marquee defense bill that had stalled for weeks.

Senate votes to repeal Middle East war laws

Politico | Defense

By Connor O'Brien

10 October 2025 at 08:55

The repeal of the Gulf and Iraq War authorizations is included in both the House and Senate defense bills, heightening its chances of passing.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. speaks to reporters at the Capitol, Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington.

Hegseth’s firing of Navy official compounds ‘culture of fear’ inside Pentagon

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary and Daniel Lippman

9 October 2025 at 17:00

“It’s better just to keep your head down,” said one senior defense official.

There is an emerging “culture of fear; there’s a culture of intimidation and retaliation,” said a senior defense official.

Trump's pick to oversee VA benefits withdraws nomination

Politico | Defense

By Leo Shane III and Daniel Lippman

8 October 2025 at 23:49

Karen Brazell faced criticism from Democrats over her involvement in VA staffing and contract cuts.

In an email sent to congressional offices on Wednesday, provided to POLITICO, lawmakers were informed that Karen Brazell, who was nominated for the Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Benefits post in June, withdrew for “personal reasons.”

Hegseth targets IG investigations as Signalgate report looms

Politico | Defense

By Leo Shane III and Paul McLeary

4 October 2025 at 07:00

The new rules, which include changes on how quickly inspector generals must process complaints, threaten to undermine the role of a key federal watchdog.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sits with senior military leaders as they listen to President Donald Trump speak on Sept. 30 in Quantico, Virginia.

Hegseth fires top Navy official

Politico | Defense

By Daniel Lippman， Paul McLeary and Jack Detsch

4 October 2025 at 06:11

Jon Harrison is the latest Pentagon official who Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed from office.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders on Sept. 30 in Quantico, Virginia.

White House downplays war declaration against drug smugglers

Politico | Defense

By Leo Shane III， Myah Ward and Connor O'Brien

3 October 2025 at 07:03

Administration officials insist that military actions against cartels at sea are lawful and within the president’s authority.

The legality of the Trump administration’s attacks on several Venezuelan ships it has accused of carrying drugs has been assailed by Democrats and legal experts

‘Could have been an email’: Officials balk at Hegseth's generals meeting

Politico | Defense

By Jack Detsch and Leo Shane III

1 October 2025 at 03:03

The last-minute gathering featured hundreds of senior military officials, who swear an oath to the Constitution, attending something more akin to a campaign rally.

President Donald Trump is greeted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before speaking to a gathering of top U.S. military commanderson Sept. 30, 2025, in Quantico, Va.

Hegseth uses rare meeting of generals to announce new military standards

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary and Jack Detsch

30 September 2025 at 22:09

He warned commanders who don’t support the changes could leave the service.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders on Sept. 30, 2025 ,in Quantico, Virginia.

Hegseth’s mysterious meeting with generals will focus on grooming and warrior ethos

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary

27 September 2025 at 03:55

The event, which will draw top brass from around the world, will function as a pep rally of sorts.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to reporters at the Pentagon on July 16, 2025.

Trump bills Hegseth’s unusual meeting with generals as a friendly meet-up

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary

26 September 2025 at 06:51

The Defense secretary demanded hundreds of top officials come to a base near Washington next week but did not say why.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump listen during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Aug. 26, 2025.

Hegseth axes panel that encourages women to enter military

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary

24 September 2025 at 02:26

The advisory committee, which has existed for nearly a century, advances “a divisive feminist agenda,” a Pentagon spokesperson said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon on Sept. 19, 2025.

Pentagon, amid media clampdown, codifies restrictions on think tank events

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary， Jack Detsch and Joe Gould

23 September 2025 at 06:56

A new memo further limits what military officials can say at public events.

The directive is the latest in a series of actions by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to shutter the Pentagon from public view.

Trump details third US strike on suspected drug traffickers

Politico | Defense

By Aaron Pellish

20 September 2025 at 09:11

The president said three people were killed in an airstrike in international waters.

President Donald Trump speaks before signing executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House on Sept. 19.

Pentagon to limit journalists’ access unless they agree not to publish certain information

Politico | Defense

By Jack Detsch

20 September 2025 at 08:19

The unprecedented move is the strongest action yet in restricting how reporters cover the country’s largest federal agency.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon on Sept. 19.

Trump says US ‘trying’ to get Bagram airbase back

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary

19 September 2025 at 00:20

The first Trump administration negotiated an American withdrawal from the country by 2021 and didn’t mention keeping the base.

President Donald Trump gestures next to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a press conference at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Sept. 18, 2025.

Pentagon’s crackdown on Kirk comments stirs fears among troops

Politico | Defense

By Paul McLeary and Jack Detsch

18 September 2025 at 06:30

Some troops and Defense Department employees worry they will face politically motivated punishments for social media posts that are seen as disloyal to President Donald Trump.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine attend a ceremony at the Pentagon to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The quantum race: So hot right now

Politico | Defense

By Joe Gould

17 September 2025 at 17:30

Quantum computing exploits the physics of subatomic particles to perform speedier calculations than classical computers, with huge implications for technological innovation in defense and beyond.