POLITICS: Secretary of War’s ‘full-blown-tantrums’ fuel concern – USSA News

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appears to be struggling as he increasingly seems on edge and aims his frustrations at his staff, Knewz.com can report — and his behavior has been ramping up in recent weeks.

Two sources close to Hegseth claim the former Fox News personality has been going off on staff and is “obsessed” with all things related to his security. “There’s a manic quality about him,” one insider told DailyMail.com. “Or let me rephrase: ‘an even more manic quality’ — which is really saying something.” They also described the 45-year-old military veteran as visibly distracted and fidgety. He sometimes stands up and paces during meetings. “Dude is crawling out of his skin,” added the second source. Hegseth’s behavior doesn’t stop there, as he’s also been accused of firing Pentagon officials for speaking to the media and congressional staffers.

Hegseth, who still has a job in President Trump’s administration despite several fumbles, is said to have been all about changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War for months, even bashing staffers who wanted to delay the seemingly unnecessary swap. The ex-TV personality’s anger, according to the sources, has also been on full display, especially when he’s urged to be more consistent in discussing the military’s potential involvement in locations like Europe and the Middle East. “He takes things personally when challenged — like full-blown tantrums,” one of the sources said. The other insider claimed Hegseth has seemed anxious following conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s September death, describing the Cabinet member as “rattled” and “panicked” by the assassination.

Hegseth has faced backlash over many of his decisions since stepping into his role, with a lot of his energy spent on ridding the military of “woke” policies. At an event for Turning Point USA — the organization Kirk co-founded in 2012 — in Tampa, Fla., Hegseth said he was focused on getting the military “back on track” by dictating nail polish color — only “clear or French or American manicure” looks are allowed — and banning eyelash extensions. He previously announced a new dress code for the military, with the goal of refining standards of grooming and appearance for service members. “We’re looking at overall fitness standards, overall grooming standards, overall basic standards across our formations that we believe have slipped certainly under the previous administration, but over decades,” Hegseth previously told Congress.

In just a short time, Hegseth has found himself buried in controversy. In March, he used the Signal app to discuss military plans, which led to sensitive information being leaked after he revealed details of impending airstrikes, including aircraft types, missiles, launch times and more. Then in September, on short notice and with no stated reason, Hegseth summoned nearly all of the military’s generals and admirals from around the world to an in-person meeting at Marine Corps Base Quantico where he pushed partisan messaging, insulted military leaders and issued more new directives. In October, Hegseth enacted a media plan for the Pentagon imposing restrictive new rules on journalists, sparking widespread backlash from numerous news organizations who’ve declined to agree to terms they say violate the First Amendment. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has remained in Hegseth’s corner, insisting he’s “doing a great job.”