Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparked outrage on Monday after he used a slur in a speech about military preparedness.
Hegseth spoke to a crowd at Oshkosh Corporation in Wisconsin as part of his “Arsenal of Freedom” tour, billed as a way to highlight ongoing efforts to strengthen America’s manufacturing base to support military operations. During the speech, Hegseth made one remark that caught the ears of several political analysts.
“This is a new Department with a new focus on our core mission, where we are restoring the warrior ethos,” Hegseth said. “That means … an unrelenting focus on lethality. That means no more DEI. That means no more trannies, just training.”
This isn’t the first time that Hegseth has used the slur “trannies” to refer to transgender people in the military. He also used the slur in a recent speech in Iowa, which some people suggested is evidence that Hegseth plans to run for president in 2028.
Political analysts weighed in on the comments on social media.
“Secretary of Defense just casually using a slur; this country is f—– man,” Jack Cocchiarella, a progressive political YouTuber, posted on X.
“This sort of self-congratulatory nonsense was plenty sad even before we fell on our face in Iran,” Andrew Egger, White House reporter for The Bulwark, posted on X.
“He’s such a f—— punk,” Joe Walsh, a former Republican lawmaker turned Democratic pundit, posted on X.
“The brief pause before and after he lets it rip. So pathetic,” Jake Rhodes, a professional musician, posted on X.
Hegseth: “No more trannies, just training” pic.twitter.com/XisbH2Uru7 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 24, 2026
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