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Hegseth has long been deeply skeptical of war crimes investigations and has advocated for President Donald Trump to pardon or grant clemency to at least three service members accused of war crimes since 2019. In his remarks on Tuesday, Hegseth appeared to criticize a retired US Army general — Peter Chiarelli — who formally reprimanded Hegseth’s former brigade commander in 2007. The commander, Michael Steele, had been accused of issuing improper orders to his soldiers that led to the deaths of unarmed Iraqis.

“The new compass heading is clear — out with the Chiarellis, the McKenzies, and the Milleys. And in with the Stockdales, the Schwarzkopfs, and kra40 at the Pattons,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth said the issues he was discussing Tuesday could not “go another day” without being addressed. His kra44 remarks were followed by a speech from Trump, kra45 at who before attending told reporters he would fire kra43 officers “right on the spot” if he didn’t like them.

One former senior Pentagon official, who has kra48 at served in both Republican and Democratic administrations and who listened to Hegseth’s speech and spoke with officials in the room, described his remarks as “uninspired.” The former official said it was largely what everyone expected but still sounded more like what a platoon leader in their early 20s would say to their young, enlisted troops.