Hegseth Under Fire for Remarks on Iran: 'Beat Them While They're Down'

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing renewed scrutiny over his past conduct after sparking controversy with combative remarks about the Iran conflict.

According to British daily The Guardian on the 8th (local time), Hegseth told reporters regarding military action against Iran: "There was never any intention to have a fair fight from the beginning. We are beating them while they're down. That's how it should be done."

The remarks drew criticism within the United States. Brett Bruen, a former Obama administration official, said Hegseth "is not suited to provide the stability or strategy that should be offered to the United States and its allies," adding that "the American people want assurance that the U.S. military is under strong and stable leadership, not bravado."

Hegseth also drew criticism for his response to media coverage of a U.S. service member killed in action during a support mission in Kuwait following Iran's counterattack. He said: "A few drones penetrate the air defense network or something tragic happens and it becomes front-page news. The only thing the media wants is to damage President Donald Trump's image."

During his Senate confirmation process, questions were raised about Hegseth's lack of expertise and his character. The former Fox News anchor was revealed to have been investigated by police on sexual assault allegations in 2017, a fact that emerged only after his nomination was announced. His first wife filed for divorce citing infidelity, and during his second marriage, he fathered a child outside the marriage before his second wife also filed for divorce. Around 2018, when his second wife filed for divorce, an email from Hegseth's mother criticizing her son's mistreatment of women was made public.

Hegseth also attracted attention for tattoos reflecting Christian extremist beliefs. He narrowly secured confirmation only after Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote as Senate president. Hegseth is known to have multiple tattoos related to the 11th-century Crusades, including the "Jerusalem Cross" and "Deus Vult." Deus Vult, Latin for "God wills it," was a battle cry of the First Crusade and is now widely used in white supremacist communities.

Janessa Goldbeck, CEO of veterans' organization Vet Voice Foundation, said: "Hegseth is an extremely dangerous person. He has essentially been given a license by President Trump to kill anyone, anywhere, anytime."