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AXIOS (Rebecca Falconer) - Hegseth accuses media of treason in pugnacious annual address Wed Sep 30 21:08:56 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took aim at the U.S. media during a speech at a Marine Corps base in Virginia on Wednesday, saying: "Our so-called press makes Iranian state media look reasonable." Why it matters: Hegseth cast news outlets as a threat to U.S. troops, escalating his attacks on journalists over reporting based on classified information . What he's saying: In his second annual "State of the Force" address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Hegseth accused some members of the media of "treason." - While a free press is important, he said "partisan activism that intentionally smears the troops and the historic mission that they're undertaking is fundamentally anti-American. It's sick. It's a national betrayal. It's treason, actually." - "It's your movements and bases that they reveal to the enemy," he said. "Ultimately, it's your lives they put directly at risk when they lie about munition stockpiles." Between the lines: Media reports about dwindling supplies of key munitions amid the war with Iran have drawn the ire of President Trump and his team. Hegseth frequently attacks the press and has taken unprecedented steps to restrict the media's access to the Pentagon. Driving the news: Hegseth returned to many culture-war themes in the speech, highlighting his efforts to reverse DEI and gender equity efforts in the interest of "meritocracy." - "We are no longer the woke department or the weak department. Simple translation of that — no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors." Zoom out: Hegseth also made substantive news in the speech. He confirmed plans for a 20% reduction in generals and admirals across the force, while rejecting descriptions of the cuts as a purge. - "As usual, what the media levels as an accusation, I wear as an accomplishment," he said. - Hegseth also announced a new Autonomous Warfare Command, an initiative to study the future of war that will involve Elon Musk, and a nationwide competition to host the next U.S. military base. Go deeper: Hegseth directs Pentagon to combat foreign interference in U.S. elections