Quotes
We're starting [cuts] with the poor performers among our probationary employees because it's common sense that you want the best and brightest,
Hegseth said
We want you, the American people — the taxpayers — to understand why we're making the decisions that we're making here,
Hegseth said[DOGE is] here, and they're going to be incorporated into what we're doing at DOD to find fraud, waste, and abuse in the largest discretionary budget in the federal government,
Hegseth saidIt's refocusing and reinvesting funds into building the force that protects you, the American people,
Hegseth saidEver since I've taken this position, the only thing I've cared about is doing right by our service members — soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and guardians,
the secretary saidThe legacy media has an agenda, and in many cases, simply fails to understand the facts,
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, saidWith DOGE, we are focusing as much as we can on headquarters and fat and top-line stuff that allows us to reinvest elsewhere,
he addedWe’ll keep fighting to ensure that America’s military remains the most lethal fighting force on the planet,
he saidPresident Trump's charge to DoD is clear: achieve Peace through Strength,
Hegseth wrote in the memo, dated Tuesday
I think the U.S. needs to spend more than the Biden administration was willing to, who historically underinvested in the capabilities of our military,
Hegseth said
The Freedom Caucus and the House is demanding $1.5 trillion dollars in cuts, and it's very hard to cut the budget unless you cut deeply into the Pentagon, to cut it at that level. So, I suspect that that may be animating some of what's going on here,
Axelrod saidTrump himself said that he wants to raise the Pentagon's budget by about 100 or 150 billion dollars,
Moulton, a former Democratic presidential contender, told CNNPentagon budget cuts are a horrible idea ... Our military is already woefully unprepared for a large scale war. Cut bad projects and waste, sure. But then use that money on stuff we need."
John Hasson, a Townhall contributor and self-described conservative, wrote on X on WednesdayThis is totally absurd. We're at the onset of a second Cold War that could go hot over Taiwan, and Hegseth wants to gut the defense budget. 8 percent cuts per year would decimate the military, exactly when China is rising."
The New York Times columnist David French also said on X
Congress is not going to cut our military by 40%."
Representative Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, said on X (formerly Twitter
Well, look, I've been a critic of Pentagon spending for a long time and I think the Pentagon could spend its money more efficiently. I think we should be investing in the modern, cheaper, smaller, nimble systems like drones and autonomous underwater vehicles, as opposed to the big heavy old things like tanks and aircraft carriers."
Democratic Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts told CNN'sAnderson Cooper
Every once in awhile, I DO agree with Trump. He's right: when the Pentagon cannot complete an independent audit, we should cut military spending by 8% a year over the next 5 years. These savings should go to increasing Social Security benefits & strengthening VA health care."
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont wrote on X on Wednesday
Hegseth orders military to draw up plans for 40% total budget cuts over the next fives years, 8% per year. Exponentially worse than sequestration that crippled the military in 2011."
Mark Hertling, former commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, said on XThe time for preparation is over. We must act urgently to revive the warrior ethos, rebuild our military, and reestablish deterrence,
Hegseth wrote
To achieve our mandate from President Trump, we are guided by his priorities including securing our borders, building the Iron Dome for America, and ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing,
Salesses said