Accountability

Pete Hegseth loves to lecture the U.S. military about the “warrior ethos,” casting himself as the nation’s armchair Rambo-in-chief. But when it comes to real accountability—specifically for authorizing strikes on unarmed people clinging to boats in the Caribbean—his warrior bravado evaporates. The man who scolds soldiers about courage suddenly can’t muster an ounce of it himself. Instead, he hides behind talking points, evasions, and patriotic cosplay, proving once again that the loudest sermons about bravery often come from the safest seats in the house.