At the Department of War's Thursday update on Operation Epic Fury, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth compared the legacy media to Pharisees. Hegseth received this illuminating comparison while listening to his pastor preach on Sunday, and explained it thusly:
"This past Sunday, I was sitting in church with my family. And our minister preached from the Book of Mark, the third chapter. And in the passage, Jesus entered a synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees came to watch, and as scripture reads, they came to see whether he, Jesus, would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. You see, the Pharisees, the so-called and self-appointed elites of their time, they were there to witness, to write everything down, to report. But their hearts were hardened. Even though they witnessed a literal miracle it didn't matter. They were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda. As the passage ends, the Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel against him, how to destroy him."
Hegseth drew a parallel between the Pharisees' agenda in finding fault in Christ Jesus' actions and the legacy press' fault-finding with the American soldier as they work to execute the aims of Operation Epic Fury.
"I sat there in church and I thought: Our press are just like these Pharisees. Not all of you. Not all of you. But the legacy, Trump-hating press. Your politically-motivated animus for President Trump nearly completely blinds you from the brilliance of our American warriors. The Pharisees scrutinized every good act in order to find a violation. Only looking for the negative."
Hegseth couched the animus of the press as being only toward President Donald Trump, but as this week has shown, there is an equal, if not more deranged form of animus lodged at Pete Hegseth as the Secretary of War. This, despite the fact that Hegseth and his generals have waged multiple campaigns that have fulfilled intended goals and that were executed with precision.
Read More: SecWar Pete Hegseth Faces New, and Senseless, Democratic Impeachment Effort
Pentagon: Hegseth’s Strait of Malacca Deal Part of Trump’s ‘America First Defense’ Umbrella
Hegseth spoke to the war being waged in the press against Operation Epic Fury, and deemed it "incredibly unpatriotic."
"This same press corps, not this exact same press corps, but at least an older press corps, bent over backwards during the Biden administration to explain away, you explained away the disastrous and disgraceful Afghanistan withdrawal. You called it 'the greatest airlift in American history.' It's almost like you're cheering only for one side."
A refusal to highlight the precision, training, and mission focus of our fighting men and women, while perpetually tearing down those who lead them, does not smack of patriotism or even good reporting — it's an intentional pursuit of an anti-American and anti-military narrative. Despite this, Hegseth still appealed to those in the legacy press who could put aside their TDS and HDS (Hegseth Derangement Syndrome) to see the good that has occurred and continues to unfold.
Hegseth continued:
"The hardened hearts of our press are calibrated only to impugn. I would ask you to open your eyes to the goodness: the historic success of our troops, the courage of this president, and this historic moment for a deal that could end the Iranian nuclear threat. The incredible battlefield victory laid before your eyes. The not one, but TWO incredible rescue missions — miracles, you might say. Or a locked in blockade."
Hegseth put aside the current operation for the moment and focused on the reality within the country and how Americans are proud and motivated to serve their country.
Hegseth said:
"Or how about historic recruiting numbers? Yesterday, we announced that the Air Force and the Space Force met new, higher goals in FY26, five months in advance of the end of the fiscal year. Five months ahead of time. The Marine Corps and the Army will soon do the same.
"Two, three years ago we couldn't meet lower recruiting numbers — not even close. Where are the reports on that? Where's the coverage of the new spirit in the country, the new spirit in the ranks, the surge of Americans wanting to join the greatest military in the world. Nothing from the fake news. We sense a pattern.
"You see, on the battlefield, these are demonstrations of uniquely American capabilities. Strength and resolve, it's all around you, each and every day. But in the press, you only seek the negative. Earning, each and every day the fake news label."
As Hegseth has done in the past, he spotlighted the American people and their desire to find truth and find goodness in the midst of this conflict.
"But the American people, with goodness in their hearts, see past the Pharisees in our press. They see the goodness. You, watching, you see the goodness. They see the success. They see the reality. And they don't demand perfection, and perfection is not possible on any battlefield. But they see the incredible feats that our troops accomplish every single day."
WATCH:
.@SECWAR "To the American media—
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) April 16, 2026
I just can’t help but notice the endless stream of garbage—the relentlessly negative coverage that you cannot resist peddling, despite the historic and important success of this effort and the success of our troops.
Sometimes it’s hard to figure… pic.twitter.com/KCyT0u6ViA
WATCH:
.@SECWAR “The hardened hearts of our press are calibrated only to impugn.
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) April 16, 2026
I would ask you to open your eyes to the goodness—the historic success of our troops, the courage of this president, and this historic moment for a deal that could end the Iranian nuclear threat.” pic.twitter.com/QYZrWUQfK4
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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