Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s inner circle waged a behind-the-scenes fight with another Cabinet department over a marquee sporting event abroad, according to a new report.
The Washington Post reported Friday that Hegseth’s office tried to scrap all U.S. military involvement in the NFL’s first-ever game in Paris, only to reverse course after State Department officials objected.
Sunday’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints at Stade de France, just outside the French capital, had been slated to include dozens of service members, according to officials who spoke to the Post anonymously about internal discussions. Hegseth’s team moved to pull them all following a weekend of unrest in Paris that President Donald Trump has publicly criticized.
State Department officials pushed back, arguing that putting American troops on display at such a visible event carried diplomatic weight. They also told Hegseth’s staff their department had not concluded that Americans or U.S. personnel in Paris faced a high risk of danger, the officials said.
Hegseth’s office ultimately agreed to bring back part of the military’s role, including a color guard. Those ceremonial units, which carry the American and service branch flags, typically involve fewer than 10 people.
Pentagon spokespeople would not say who in Hegseth’s office sought to cancel the military involvement or why plans shifted so abruptly. A senior Defense Department official instead sent the Post an unattributed statement that echoed the president.
“The Department is supporting the NFL game in Paris this weekend amid the ongoing riots and unrest. As President Trump has said, France is really in trouble,” the statement read, adding that the call “was made by the Secretary’s core leadership team, not one person alone.”
Trump himself suggested Friday that the league should have considered pushing the game back.
“I would have said the NFL could have probably postponed that match if you want to know the truth, because France is really in trouble,” Trump told reporters. “That’s what happens when you go left.”
The State Department and the NFL declined to comment to the Post.
Protests over school funding and living costs have spread across Paris and other French cities, prompting the State Department to warn Americans attending the game to steer clear of demonstrations. Trump has blamed the turmoil on immigration and Islam, while French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed his remarks as “stupid.”
The U.S. military has taken part in other NFL games abroad this season, including in London and Melbourne, with games in Madrid and Munich still to come.
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