Page A230From§Eachthe morning edition — 6 November 2026
WAR CRIMINAL CLAIM
As it ran on the front
Secretary Pete Hegseth has an answer, and it has not changed since September. He will not back down.
On September 2, Senator Thom Tillis — a former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee — stood in front of cameras and asked President Trump to fire Hegseth over what Tillis called "inept management" of the military. The next day, Frank Kendall, who ran the Air Force until last year, told CNN the Pentagon under Hegseth had gone "dysfunctional." The Secretary did not answer either man. He had better things to do. Or — he had one thing to do, and it took him two months to get around to it.…
…(cont) That thing arrived on October 29, two months after Tillis asked for his job: Hegseth fired Brett Sylvia, the Joint Staff's top planner, over an alleged leak, with roughly a fifth of the senior officer corps slated to follow him out. This is called discipline. It is actually the Secretary deciding who gets removed before anyone else gets the chance to decide it for him.
Eight days before that firing, on October 21, current and former Pentagon officials were already telling The Telegraph they were prepared to "spill their guts" to whichever chamber Democrats were about to retake. They were right about the chamber. On Thursday, November 5, two days after the midterm losses France 24 called a "setback," Hegseth released a video message. He called the Iran war "courageous and historic" and vowed to fight any effort in Congress to impeach him.
The next day, Friday, carried two items the video had not addressed. Fox News reported that Representative Thomas Massie plans to reintroduce articles of impeachment next week, with the post-midterm math now working against the Secretary. And Wes Bryant, a senior Pentagon targeting adviser and policy analyst pushed out of his job last year, told The Intercept that the strikes Hegseth ordered in the Caribbean and the Pacific are "state terrorism," that Hegseth is "100% a war criminal," that he "needs to be prosecuted."
None of that required the Secretary to back down from anything. It only required him, once, to say what, exactly, he was refusing to back down from — and he picked the one war nobody on Friday was accusing him of a crime in.
“They don't call it a cover-up anymore, they call it a video message. The guy who ran the targeting cell says the Caribbean and Pacific strikes are war crimes, and Hegseth gets on camera to defend Iran instead — like answering a burglary charge by bragging about a different house he broke into. Massie's bringing the impeachment paper back, and the only thing standing between that paper and this Secretary's job is whichever math the Senate does next.”
“Look, the Secretary addressed this head-on — he got in front of a camera and said he will not back down, that's leadership, that's answering the question, it's just not the question anyone actually asked him. He defended the Iran campaign as courageous and historic, which, fine, nobody accused him of a crime in Iran, that's not — okay, that one got away from me.”
Earlier in this story
The receipts
The Pentagon has failed its audit eight years running - the only major federal agency never to pass one Military Times, 19 December 2025
Reporter's Notebook: How midterms may change the House impeachment equation for HegsethThomas Massie plans to reintroduce articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth next week, and post-midterm GOP math could work against the Pentagon chief.
While President Donald Trump this week indicated he's standing by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the wake of brutal midterm election losses, Democratic Party leaders have indicated they'll use their new majorities in Congress to remove him from office, one way or another. The Intercept reported on Thursday that source in the US…
The Pentagon has failed its audit eight years running - the only major federal agency never to pass one Military Times, 19 December 2025
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's future in question after midterms setbackUS Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's future is in question after Tuesday's, November 3, midterms setback. On Thursday, November 5, he issued a video message vowing to fight efforts in Congress to impeach him and defending the Iran war as “courageous and historic”. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Philip Turle has more.
· Pentagon Officials Reportedly Ready to 'Spill Their Guts' to Help Get Hegseth Impeached from the morgue, 21 Oct 2026
· Former Air Force secretary: Hegseth's Pentagon 'dysfunctional' from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· Hegseth fires Pentagon's top military planner over alleged leaks from the morgue, 29 Oct 2026
· Hegseth fires top general over apparent media leaks from the morgue, 29 Oct 2026
· Hegseth fires top Pentagon strategist accused of leaking classified Iran, Ukraine war information from the morgue, 29 Oct 2026
· Hegseth fires top Pentagon strategist amid Iran planning who allegedly failed polygraph tests from the morgue, 29 Oct 2026
· Hegseth on "devastation" to Iran's capabilities from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Pentagon erupts over classified leak of Iran war dissent from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· Tillis urges Trump to fire Hegseth over 'inept management' of military from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Hegseth fires top Pentagon war planner Brett Sylvia in latest military shake-up from the morgue, 29 Oct 2026
· Hegseth dismisses top military strategist from Joint Chiefs as Trump contemplates further Iran strikes from the morgue, 29 Oct 2026
· A top general pushed out at Pentagon's Joint Staff from the morgue, 29 Oct 2026
· Hegseth ousted top military strategist from Pentagon, sources say from the morgue, 29 Oct 2026
· Army Secretary Driscoll resigns after months-long turf war with Hegseth from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· Hegseth to cut 20 percent of admirals, generals in major Pentagon overhaul from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· 'A Perfect Metaphor': Hegseth Staffers Broke Historic Globe After Pentagon Chief Demanded It for His Office from the morgue, 22 Oct 2026
· Trump announces Nidal Hasan execution 'will not be streamed' from the morgue, 15 Oct 2026
· Nidal Hasan’s Public Execution Is Off, But Propagandists Are Still Using Him as a Martyr from the morgue, 15 Oct 2026
· For some Christians, Hegseth's plan for public execution fits a biblical mandate from the morgue, 15 Oct 2026
· Retired US generals call on Pentagon to cancel 'barbaric' execution livestream from the morgue, 15 Oct 2026
· Majority of Americans oppose public executions: poll from the morgue, 15 Oct 2026
· UN Says Trump-Hegseth Livestream of Execution Would Breach ‘Absolute Prohibition of Torture’ from the morgue, 9 Oct 2026
· Pentagon vows to livestream first military execution in decades from the morgue, 9 Oct 2026
· Republican opposition grows to livestreaming execution of Fort Hood shooter from the morgue, 9 Oct 2026
· Voters in Key States See AI Campaign Cash as More Politically Toxic Than AIPAC: Poll from the morgue, 8 Oct 2026
· White House confirms appeal as Trump-appointed judge extends ruling restoring CNN, MS NOW, Politico access from the morgue, 14 Oct 2026
· Trump White House Restores Access to Politico, MS NOW, CNN Reporters Hours After Judge's Order from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· Federal judge extends order halting White House press ban while considering long-term ruling from the morgue, 8 Oct 2026
· Judge orders White House to temporarily restore media access for blocked outlets from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· Federal judge grants preliminary injunction continuing to block Trump's media ban from the morgue, 14 Oct 2026
· White House again blocks CNN from press pool as Trump rages against media in wide-ranging interview – live from the morgue, 1 Oct 2026
· Trump made ‘clear’ that media ban was due to critical coverage, lawyer tells judge from the morgue, 8 Oct 2026
· Federal Judge Again Blocks Trump’s Ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the morgue, 14 Oct 2026
· Judge blocks Trump's White House ban targeting CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the morgue, 14 Oct 2026
· Judge extends White House access to banned media outlets CNN, MS Now and Politico from the morgue, 14 Oct 2026
· Sunday Shows Preview: Trump bans 3 media outlets from White House; Parties make final cases as midterms approach from the morgue, 19 Sep 2026
· Report: Trump Is Having Second Thoughts About Livestreaming Military Execution from the morgue, 13 Oct 2026
· Daughter of Fort Hood victim slams Hegseth’s plan to livestream terrorist’s execution: ‘Nothing to do with justice’ from the morgue, 13 Oct 2026
· ‘Medieval’ and ‘rather disturbing’: US plan to livestream execution elicits global condemnation from the morgue, 9 Oct 2026
· Fort Hood massacre survivor weighs in on possible Hasan execution livestream from the morgue, 13 Oct 2026
· Mike Johnson urges Trump to rethink livestreaming Nidal Hasan execution: ‘I wouldn’t be watching’ from the morgue, 13 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike discharged from hospital, returned to prison after botched execution, attorneys say from the morgue, 10 Oct 2026
· Convicted murderer Christa Pike leaves hospital, returns to prison after botched execution from the morgue, 10 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike out of hospital and back in prison after botched execution attempt from the morgue, 10 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike out of hospital and recovering in prison after botched Tennessee execution from the morgue, 10 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike discharged from hospital and returned to prison, her lawyers say from the morgue, 10 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike moved back to prison after failed execution from the morgue, 10 Oct 2026
· Outgoing prison chief in Christa Pike case oversaw five ‘botched’ executions, lawyers say from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Judge orders officials to preserve all evidence tied to Christa Pike’s botched execution from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike’s lawyer says request to unshackle her was denied as he confirms she is speaking ‘limitedly’ – live from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike left in ‘critical condition’ as Tennessee halts all executions from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Tennessee suspends executions as Christa Pike’s lawyer says failed lethal injection leaves her in critical condition from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Tennessee Corrections commissioner resigns days after failed Christa Pike execution from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Tennessee Prison Chief Was Hired Despite a Trail of Troubled Executions from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Pike's botched execution renews death penalty scrutiny from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· After failed execution, health workers say Tennessee's method flouts medical ethics from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Supreme Court Allows Execution of Christa Pike, Tennessee’s Lone Woman on Death Row from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Federal court halts Christa Pike's execution from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· White House defends media outlet bans, now citing 'professionalism' standards from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Vance defends White House media ban: ‘Politico is as anti-Trump as Breitbart was anti-Obama or anti-Biden’ from the morgue, 21 Sep 2026
· Vance defends Trump's media ban as 'totally appropriate' from the morgue, 21 Sep 2026
· Bill Clinton: 'There were lots of times when I wanted to ban the White House press corps' from the morgue, 25 Sep 2026
· Tennessee prison chief to resign after Christa Pike's failed execution, governor says from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Tennessee’s prisons chief resigns after failed Pike execution, governor says from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Federal Appellate Court Halts Tennessee's Planned Execution of Christa Pike from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Supreme Court declines Christa Pike's clemency appeal, with Tennessee set to execute first woman in 200 years from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· Supreme Court allows execution of Christa Pike to go forward from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Tennessee court makes last minute move to temporarily halt Christa Pike's execution from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· DOJ petitions judge to reinstate White House ban on CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters regain entry to White House from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· Tennessee prison system head to resign after failed Christa Pike execution from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Tennessee Prison Commissioner Resigns Days After Failed Execution from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Tennessee prison chief resigns after Christa Pike’s botched execution from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Prison chief resigns after failed execution attempt in US from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike’s Tennessee execution halted by court an hour before it was scheduled from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Christa Pike thought her arm would ‘burst open’ during botched Tennessee execution: court docs from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Death row inmate unconscious on ventilator after botched execution for teen’s killing: attorneys from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike remains unconscious and on ventilator after failed execution in Tennessee from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike unconscious and intubated after failed execution, lawyers say from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike Was Unconscious and on Ventilator After Execution Attempt from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike Hospitalized in Critical Condition After Botched Execution from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.