Defense Secretary Pushes Militaristic Agenda with Propaganda Manual and Trump’s Endorsement
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth distributed a 144-page manual to 600 service members, filled with his own speeches and a foreword by President Donald Trump, while simultaneously announcing personnel cuts and demanding more funding for the military.
In a move that underscores the growing militarization and cult of personality within the current administration, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth handed out a 144-page field manual to approximately 600 troops during his State of the Force address at Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday. The manual, a thinly veiled propaganda tool, contains transcripts of Hegseth’s September 2025 speech on restoring a so-called 'warrior ethos'—a dog whistle for aggressive foreign policy—and his January 2026 remarks on 'technological dominance,' where he lauded billionaire Elon Musk and SpaceX as paragons of American innovation, ignoring the social and ethical costs of unchecked tech expansion.
The manual opens with a foreword attributed to President Donald Trump, written in the style of his inflammatory social-media posts:
'Our goal is PEACE, which is why we prepare for War — especially the Wars of the future. As your Commander-in-Chief, I will not ask you to fight dumb Wars. I will unleash you to be violent, lethal and unstoppable — and I will always have your back. Godspeed, Great Warriors. Thank you for your attention to this matter!'
Hegseth used his address to announce a 20 percent reduction in the number of admirals and generals, a move that raises questions about the administration’s real intentions—whether it’s about efficiency or consolidating power. He also called on Congress to increase the already bloated defense budget, citing a 'generational investment' promised by Trump. Hegseth took the opportunity to attack the media, accusing coverage of the ongoing conflict with Iran of boosting Iranian state media credibility, a classic tactic to silence dissent and critical journalism.
The distribution of this manual and the content of these speeches highlight the administration’s relentless focus on military buildup, technological arms races, and a dangerous shift toward authoritarian messaging within the Pentagon.