With Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's Friday presser came the birth of a new hoax, and it may be one of the dumbest ones yet.
According to Sen. Mark Kelly, Rep. Jason Crow, and Rep. Eugene Vindman (yes, people actually elected a Vindman to Congress), Hegseth gave an "illegal order" when he used the phrase "no quarter" during his remarks.
Also See: Hegseth Hatred Leaves Democrats With Egg on Their Faces
Hegseth: No quarter, no mercy for our enemies. Yet some in the press just can't stop. More fake news from CNN reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war's impact on the strait of hormuz. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better. pic.twitter.com/BehjVYK0Hy
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 13, 2026
HEGSETH: They're confused, and we know it. Our response? We will keep pressing, we will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies. Yet, some in this crew, in the press, just can't stop. Allow me to make a few suggestions. People look up at the TV, and they see banners. They see headlines. I used to be in that business, and I know that everything is written intentionally.
For example, a banner or a headline, "Mideast war intensifies," splashing on the screen the last couple of days alongside visuals of civilian or energy targets that Iran has hit because that's what they do. What should the banner read instead? How about, "Iran increasingly desperate."
He goes on to debunk a claim from CNN that stated that the Trump administration had not planned for Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz. The left-wing network would go on to correct their report, but publishing it in the first place was inexcusable. The Pentagon has been planning for this exact scenario for decades, and President Trump was briefed on the possibility and viable responses.
Regardless, the mention of "no quarter" sent Democrats into a frenzy. They finally had him now!
Former Army JAG here. No quarter orders are a violation of the law of war and Geneva conventions.
— Congressman Eugene Vindman (@RepVindman) March 13, 2026
This is the same order reportedly given during the Caribbean boat strikes. @SecWar is establishing a pattern of issuing illegal orders.
I’ve trained hundreds of soldiers on the… https://t.co/69YZlCRHSs
Former Army JAG here. No quarter orders are a violation of the law of war and Geneva conventions. This is the same order reportedly given during the Caribbean boat strikes. @SecWar is establishing a pattern of issuing illegal orders. I’ve trained hundreds of soldiers on the law of war — our service members have an obligation to follow that law.
“No quarter” isn’t some wanna be tough guy line - it means something. An order to give no quarter would mean to take no prisoners and kill them instead. That would violate the law of armed conflict. It would be an illegal order. It would also put American service members at… https://t.co/KdUf9WaDqW
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) March 14, 2026
“No quarter” isn’t some wanna be tough guy line - it means something. An order to give no quarter would mean to take no prisoners and kill them instead. That would violate the law of armed conflict. It would be an illegal order. It would also put American service members at greater risk. Pete Hegseth should know better than to throw around terms like this.
An order to give no quarter is a war crime.
— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) March 13, 2026
I’ve fought in combat. I’ve trained service members on the law of war. Our military has an obligation to follow the law.
The Secretary of Defense having such a complete disregard for the law is reckless and dangerous. https://t.co/adiFdB0jym
Notice the coordination of talking points, as well as the fact that the Democrats putting out posts all served in the military in some capacity. None of this is organic. It's also incredibly overwrought and stupid. Hegseth was not giving an order during that briefing to execute prisoners of war, as the phrase "no quarter" is generically used in modern society to signal determination. He was simply stressing to a hostile press that the United States was not going to back down from the Iranian regime.
No doubt, Kelly sees this as some kind of redemptive arc for the controversial video he made telling military members that they didn't have to follow "illegal orders" from the president. Of course, the insinuation was that Trump was giving illegal orders, a patently false claim. Sometimes I wonder if politicians understand how ridiculous they sound to the average person. Here, we have Hegseth making a generic point about American military might using a common phrase, and Democrats immediately go into, "But actually, that's an illegal order!" I mean, what? It's such clearly manufactured nonsense.
No one knows exactly how this conflict with Iran will end, whether the regime will fall completely, etc. What we do know is that Democrats have been caught flat-footed in how to respond, so they are left nibbling at nothingness like this. But hey, if they truly think Hegseth gave an illegal order, I welcome their articles of impeachment. Go ahead.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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