Hegseth delivers second 'State of the Force' address, criticizes media

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered his second annual 'State of the Force' address on Wednesday at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, speaking to hundreds of troops, according to The Washington Post and Axios. During the speech, Hegseth announced the creation of a new autonomous weapons command, CNN reported, while also repeating criticisms of what he called 'woke' culture within the military.

Hegseth used the address to accuse members of the media of treason, according to Axios. He said, 'Our so-called press makes Iranian state media look reasonable,' and described 'partisan activism that intentionally smears the troops and the historic mission that they're undertaking' as 'fundamentally anti-American,' adding, 'It's sick. It's a national betrayal. It's treason, actually.' Hegseth further said media reporting reveals troop 'movements and bases' to enemies and that journalists 'lie about munition stockpiles,' putting service members' lives at risk, Axios reported.

Axios noted that Hegseth's comments come amid media reports about dwindling supplies of key munitions during the war with Iran, reporting that has drawn criticism from President Trump and his team. Axios also reported that Hegseth has taken what it described as unprecedented steps to restrict media access to the Pentagon.

According to the Washington Examiner, Hegseth was expected to announce a 20% reduction of leadership positions held by admirals and generals, which the outlet described as his latest move to reduce senior military leadership. The New York Times reported that the address came as Hegseth faces what it called precarious times as the public face of the Trump administration's war against Iran, which the outlet characterized as unpopular.

The speech was addressed to junior officers and enlisted leaders, according to the Epoch Times. Multiple outlets across the political spectrum, including RealClearPolitics, Sky News, and Fox Business, confirmed the event took place but offered limited additional detail beyond noting the address occurred.

How the coverage differed

Left-leaning outlets emphasized Hegseth's rhetoric and the political context surrounding the speech. The New York Times framed the address against the backdrop of what it called an unpopular war with Iran and described Hegseth as facing 'precarious times.' The New Republic characterized an unspecified element of the speech as a 'bonkers party favor' for soldiers, though no other outlet described this detail. CNN focused on the announcement of a new autonomous weapons command alongside Hegseth's continued attacks on 'woke' culture.

Center outlets, particularly Axios, gave the most detailed account of Hegseth's attacks on the press, including extensive direct quotations accusing media of treason and endangering troops. The Wall Street Journal framed its coverage around general takeaways from the speech without elaborating on specific content in the supplied material. Sky News offered minimal detail beyond confirming the event.

Right-leaning outlets focused heavily on personnel and leadership changes. The Washington Examiner was the only outlet to report a planned 20% reduction in senior leadership positions held by admirals and generals, a claim not corroborated by other outlets in the supplied material. The Epoch Times and RealClearPolitics used more neutral framing, describing the address simply as remarks to troops, junior officers, and enlisted leaders, without emphasizing the media criticism or leadership cuts that other outlets highlighted.

Overall, left-leaning and center outlets gave more attention to Hegseth's attacks on the press, while right-leaning outlets emphasized structural military announcements, such as leadership reductions, with less focus on the media criticism.