You have to hand it to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Despite what appears to be concerted actions from the left against him, he's still not hesitant to make moves that will likely infuriate Democrats.
One of the big questions raised recently on a show with Tucker Carlson was why people like Susan Rice were still on the Defense Policy Board for the Department of Defense. That board is supposed to be providing advice to Hegseth. Why would he want any advice from Rice?
Former adviser to Hegseth, Dan Caldwell, pointed out the issue on Carlson's show earlier this week.
🚨EXCLUSIVE🚨
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) April 22, 2025
Dan Caldwell claims Susan Rice is still on the Defense Policy Board.
A senior Pentagon official tells me, “We are reevaluating all DoD advisory boards and their membership to ensure we have the right people in the right positions to deliver on President Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/AR27dYPGMK
The Intercept had an interesting take.
The policy board’s roster included several members of the foreign policy establishment, such as former Barack Obama aide Susan Rice, and former George W. Bush Pentagon under secretary Eric Edelman, who have previously argued for wars in the Middle East. [...]
In the interview, Caldwell complained that the advisory board was stacked with people “incredibly hostile” to President Donald Trump. He suggested that his abrupt termination was tied to power struggles between hawks pushing for war with Iran and staffers skeptical of foreign entanglements such as himself.
READ MORE: Hegseth Advisor Who Was Included in Leaked Signal Text Chain Escorted From Pentagon, Placed on Leave
Then on Thursday, as our friends at Twitchy reported, Hegseth terminated those members.
The Department of Defense released the following statement:
Yesterday, informed by the recently concluded 45-day review of DOD advisory committees, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the conclusion of service of all members of each DOD advisory committee that had been subject to the review, consistent with applicable law.
Secretary Hegseth appreciates the members' efforts on behalf of the department and the United States of America, but changes are needed to support the new strategic direction and policy priorities of the department and to ensure departmental resources are used efficiently.
DOD Spokesperson Sean Parnell retweeted this post about the action, noting it included Susan Rice.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) April 25, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ended the service of all committee members on DOD advisory committees.
This would include the seat held by Susan Rice.
Hegseth thanked the members for their work but said changes are needed to align with the department’s new… pic.twitter.com/PdQUuFKOoU
Parnell also retweeted this comment from Donald Trump Jr.
Now you know exactly why the Swamp hates @PeteHegseth so much! https://t.co/o6UMYorMdK
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 25, 2025
One has to think that this move has Rice coping and seething.
But that's some much-needed restructuring if it still included people like her. You need people aligned in basic philosophy with Hegseth and Trump, people whom you can have faith in, even if you may not agree with them all the time, or they may come from different angles.
They needed to clean house to be able to move forward and work in unison.
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