Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been rebuked by his own department for being disrespectful at one of the most solemn places in the U.S.
During a Veterans Day visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Hegseth, 46, and his crew were taking photos and laughing at Arlington National Cemetery before the Army sentinel guarding the tomb called them out.
“All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” the military personnel yelled at Hegseth and his posse.
Hegseth, along with his wife, Jennifer Hegseth, and several other senior advisers, including his Chief of Staff Ricky Buria, Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Weaver, and Deputy Assistant Tami Radabaugh, were then seen walking away quickly after the reminder.
The Pentagon is standing by the soldier who rebuked Hegseth and his crew.
The Pentagon has said it is standing by the Army sentinel who made the call, writing in a statement that the “soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum” while asserting that Hegseth has “always honored—and will always honor—the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe.”
The tomb is the final resting place of an unidentified U.S. soldier from WWI and serves as a memorial for all other unidentified soldiers. Members of Company E of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard, monitor it around the clock with one soldier on duty at all times.
Trump had nothing but praise for his SecDef at the event.
During the Veterans Day ceremony, President Donald Trump lavished praise on Hegseth, fresh off surviving an impeachment vote in the House.
“He’s done a fantastic job,” Trump said. “He loves you, and he protects you—he’s all about you.”
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie had brought articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing him of committing high crimes and misdemeanors as it related to the Trump administration’s war with Iran and strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, among other things.
Massie had tried to get the impeachment vote in before the midterm election, but House Speaker Mike Johnson sent the lower chamber home early to avoid the vote.
The final vote was 211-204, with every House Democrat in attendance, and Massie voted to impeach. Eleven Democrats, however, did not attend the vote, each offering different reasons they could not be on Capitol Hill, including being stuck in traffic and recovering from surgery in their home districts.
Democratic leadership in the lower chamber has signaled that the failed effort is not the end of an impeachment push, with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, in line to become speaker of the House in just a handful of weeks, telling reporters: “It’s just the beginning.”
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