Hegseth wastes his time on things 'well below his pay grade' as purge of dissenting Pentagon officials continues, report

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Wednesday 18 February 2026 22:47 EST


Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is spending his time on issues “well below his pay grade,” an analyst recently told The Atlantic, after the apparent ousting of yet another military official.

Hegseth recently ordered the removal of Col. Dave Butler, a longtime public affairs official for the U.S. Army, according to multiple news outlets, including The Atlantic and The Washington Post. Butler worked in several roles, including as a spokesperson for Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Over the last year, it appears Hegseth has fired several top military officials because of perceived disloyalty or ties to perceived political enemies, according to The Atlantic. Now, after this latest incident, the outlet reports Hegseth has started reaching even lower in the ranks.

“The secretary of defense is spending his time doing things that those well below his pay grade should be doing. And he is not doing the things that only the secretary of defense can do,” Kori Schake, the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, told The Atlantic.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/hegseth-pentagon-colonel-dave-butler-ousted-b2923297.html

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Full headline: Hegseth wastes his time on things ‘well below his pay grade’ as purge of dissenting Pentagon officials continues, report says

[FakeNoose]

1. Revenge against Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

They can't get Milley so they get Col. Butler instead.

From the OP link:

Milley has long clashed with Trump and his allies, particularly after he apologized for appearing alongside the president during his controversial photo-op at Lafayette Square during the George Floyd protests in 2020.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Milley — and even suggested he could be executed for committing treason in 2023. Milley denied the accusations at the time and said he was taking “appropriate measures” to ensure his safety in the wake of Trump’s comments.

Then, in January 2025, shortly after Trump was sworn in for his second term, Milley’s portrait was reportedly removed from the Pentagon.

Petty vindictive assholes, strike again....

[Ray Bruns]

2. No shit! Who would have thought that putting an alcoholic in charge

Of the DoD would have deleterious consequences?

[William Seger]

3. An alcoholic with the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old

[Kali]

4. considering he himself is way below his current paygrade...

kinda makes sense

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. MaddowBlog-Hegseth's ongoing Pentagon purge continues to destabilize the military

The sheer volume of U.S. military leaders who have left Hegseth’s Defense Department, through either firings or resignations, is extraordinary.

www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Hegseth’s ongoing Pentagon purge continues to destabilize the military.

The sheer volume of U.S. military leaders who have left Hegseth’s Defense Department, through either firings or resignations, is extraordinary.

— Trump's 'Noble' Peace Prize (@laboomer68.bsky.social) 2026-02-18T18:24:25.408Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/hegseths-ongoing-pentagon-purge-continues-to-destabilize-the-military

Toward the end of his unsettling speech to the nation’s generals and admirals in late September, when he made the case that, in essence, testosterone is the key to modern warfare, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered an unsubtle message to his audience.....

It was a pointed reminder that Hegseth is not exactly open to engaging with military officials whose views differ from his own. On the contrary, he’s proved himself eager to purge the armed forces of those he deems unworthy — a campaign that’s ongoing. MS NOW reported:

A senior U.S. military adviser has abruptly departed the Army after reportedly being forced out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Col. Dave Butler, who served as communications adviser to Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, was fired on Hegseth’s orders, according to Fox News, The Washington Post and The New York Times.

The report added that it’s unclear why Hegseth took issue with Butler, who officially retired, though according to multiple accounts, he worked closely with Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff whom the defense secretary and the Trump White House now consider a political opponent.

The New York Times’ report added, “It is unusual for a defense secretary to weigh in on the firing of an Army spokesman.”....

A year ago next week, five former defense secretaries — including retired Gen. Jim Mattis, Donald Trump’s first defense secretary — condemned the pattern of firings as “reckless.” Their joint letter, addressed to Congress, asked that the House and the Senate hold “immediate hearings to assess the national security implications” of the dismissals.

Hegseth and the administration appear to have ignored those concerns; the purge is ongoing; and GOP leaders on Capitol Hill have scheduled no such hearings.

Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who served as a Marine officer in Iraq and now serves on the House Armed Services Committee, spoke to Politico about Hegseth’s purges, which the congressman described as politically motivated.

“That’s a recipe not just for a politicized military, but an authoritarian military,” Moulton said. “That’s the way militaries work in Russia and China and North Korea.”

The Massachusetts Democrat made those comments in May. The problem is worse now.

[maxsolomon]

6. Purging any military commanders not loyal to Trump IS his job

Wake the fuck up, Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

[purr-rat beauty]

7. Funny...

Because what's below the pay grade of a piece of shit?

[Initech]

8. We need a government that works for the people, and not to produce AI slop content for Fox News.