The one constant of Pete Hegseth’s reign as self-designated war secretary has been his unbridled contempt for independent journalism that questions any of his rosy pronouncements about the unqualified success or wisdom of his policies.
In an attempt to keep the Pentagon press corps from finding out anything he wanted to keep private, Hegseth imposed strict limits on reporters’ access and eventually forced them out of the building altogether. In January, he turned his sights on the government funding, but the editorially independent Stars and Stripes newspaper, which traces its history back to the Civil War.
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“We will modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that siphon morale,” Hegseth’s chief spokesman Sean Parnell announced. “It will focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY. No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints.”
On Friday, the Pentagon fired the newspaper’s publisher, Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte, for holding to the principle that Stars and Stripes should not be turned into a house organ that only publishes state-approved puff pieces.
The official charge was “insubordination,” and it followed a July 5 story on CBS News’s Sunday Morning, in which Salvin told CBS’s David Martin that censorship of news would constitute a red line. Asked by Martin what line he would not cross, Slavin replied that if he were told, “Don’t run a perfectly accurate story, run this instead. Here it is, written by the Pentagon. That would be a red line.”
“They said that I was insubordinate for responding to a hypothetical about censorship and saying that it was a red line,” Slavin said on CNN Friday night. “I didn’t say that I would disobey any sort of directive. In my mind, I reaffirmed what the law says, what the DOD regs say, which is that Stars and Stripes is meant to be free of news management and censorship.”
Korte got in trouble for defending a story she wrote about European concerts by Bad Bunny, the performer President Donald Trump panned for his Super Bowl Halftime show. “We have a lot of people who are newly stationed here overseas,” said Korte, who is based in Germany. “They want to find interesting trips to take. They want to have fun.”
Then came the line that apparently got her fired. “I’m working for Stars and Stripes,” she said, “not for the Pentagon, not for any administration, not for any policymaker. I’m here to cover the military community.”
THE WAR ACCORDING TO PETE HEGSETH
‘PUNISH ONE, TEACH A HUNDRED’: The firings, and the installation of a long-serving public affairs officer, Navy Capt. Bill Urban, as interim publisher of the newspaper, comes after Stars and Stripes published several stories about the toll the war in Iran was taking on sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and the burden on families evacuated from Bahrain, many of whom had to dip into their own savings to pay for the expense of relocation.
That last story was written by Korte, who posted on X, “It’s a shame for the institution and service members, who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve the right to a free and independent press.”
Urban, a veteran military spokesman who is well known and generally liked by the press corps, posted an open letter on Stars and Stripes, calling himself “a media junkie who has served as a communication professional engaged in being a spokesman for some of the hardest Public Affairs assignments in the Navy and Department of War for more than 20 years.”
“I understand that I am now part of a team, committed to editorially independent journalism,” he wrote, and in a phone interview with the Associated Press praised what he called “a strong team of professional journalists” and pledged that their “mission is going to continue.”
“Punish one, teach a hundred,” the old Chinese axiom goes, and the staff of Stars and Stripes has thus been warned not to take this editorial independence thing too far.
SUE THE BASTARDS! Reining in the reporters at what has always been an independent newspaper is just a small part of a larger pattern by the Trump administration to use the power of government to muzzle freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment.
On Friday, President Trump issued an ultimatum to the Center for American Progress, demanding the left-leaning think tank retract a July report it issued concluding that Trump’s “costly deployments of the National Guard had no measurable impact on reducing violent crime. A nine-page letter sent by Trump’s personal attorney gave the think tank a deadline of last Friday or face a $5 billion lawsuit.
In an Aug. 10 post on Truth Social, he railed against what he called the “foolish Center for American Lack of Progress,” calling the report “crazy” and “another Radical Left SCAM.”
“Their stated course is anything to hate or demean ‘TRUMP.’ This will be met with a lawsuit,” Trump wrote. “Crime is way down since I took Office, and they know it. Liars, at this level, must be held accountable!“
“The Center for American Progress stands firmly behind its research and its staff,” its CEO Neera Tanden said in a statement, making clear they would not retract the report. “Trump is lashing out and threatening bogus lawsuits because he wants to silence independent research, waste taxpayer money on his failed agenda, and distract from the reality that his policies are hurting the American people.”
“Even though the data clearly show that violent crime and homicides were already dropping in American cities in 2023 and 2024, the Trump administration has continued to threaten city and state leaders and argue that its extreme actions, such as deploying the National Guard to support law enforcement operations, are improving public safety,” the report said. ‘However, new Center for American Progress analysis finds no evidence that National Guard deployments have reduced violent crime. Moreover, if these deployments are extended and continue through the end of 2026, they could cost American taxpayers more than $1.7 billion.”
Good Monday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com.
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NOTE TO READERS: I am winding down my time at the Washington Examiner, and will cease writing the Daily on Defense newsletter as of the end of the month. A new team will be taking over, and they’ve promised a fresh approach to the newsletter, with double the staff. After today’s issue I’ll be taking a few days off, but I’ll be back Friday. So, I’m not gone yet, so let’s get on with it.
HAPPENING TODAY: IRAN SANCTIONS ON STEROIDS: Today’s the day Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to spell out how the Trump Administration intends to unleash “Economic Fury” on Iran and by targeting its “enablers.”
“We are now entering the endgame. At dawn begins an economic D-Day — the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary,” Bessent posted on X. “The President has created the conditions to leverage every agency, every authority, and action many assumed we would never summon. Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains the tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone.”
The goal, Bessent wrote in an essay in London’s Financial Times, is “total financial isolation” that will “obviate the need for American force while enlarging the sphere of freedom for our allies,” while adding, “If …Iran resorts to military action against U.S. forces or its Gulf neighbors, make no mistake: President Trump will respond swiftly and decisively.”
“Any nation that serves as a financial artery of a withering regime should expect to share in its isolation. To become a sanctuary for terror is to become, in the eyes of the United States, a global pariah,” Bessent wrote. “Any remaining tie to Tehran will hasten the economic ostracism of countries and entities.”
IRAN REMAINS DEFIANT: Mohsen Rezaei, leader of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, is warning other countries not to submit to the U.S. demands to cut off all commerce with Iran.
“Iran will regard any country’s participation in or support for America’s economic war against the Iranian people as an act of war,” Rezaei was quoted as saying in a post on X. “If the economic war continues, not a single drop of oil will be exported, neither through the Strait of Hormuz nor from anywhere in the Persian Gulf.”
In an interview on Iranian television, Rezaei insisted so far Iran has hit only military bases, but warned it is prepared to target “all American oil and economic companies in the region” if the U.S. escalates the “economic war.”
“If Trump wants to take action, we will retaliate in an earthquake-like manner,” Rezaei said. “We are not seeking to expand the war, but if countries around Iran cooperate with the Americans in the economic war, we will strike their interests.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s currency hit a record low today, dropping to 2.02 million rial against U.S. dollar, as the Iranian economy is reeling from double-digit inflation and negative growth.
OIL FLOWS AND IRANIAN ECONOMIC WOES GIVE WHITE HOUSE MUCH-NEEDED PR REPRIEVE AROUND WAR
TRUMP: STRAIT OF HORMUZ ‘US TERRITORY’: At a rally for GOP Senate candidate Darline Graham in South Carolina Friday night, President Trump reasserted his claim that the Strait of Hormuz is now U.S. territorial waters and has full control of the vital chokepoint.
“They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump said of the Iranians. “We don’t even know if we want to because I view the Strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now. It’s an American territory.”
Trump compared the six-month Iran war to the one-day operation to arrest Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro back in January. “A little different, but certain way, we’re doing equally as well with Iran. The fake news just doesn’t want to report it that way.”
Trump insisted the only thing holding up Iran’s surrender is the confusion over who’s in charge. “Their leaders are gone, their second set of leaders are gone, parts of their third set of leaders are gone,” Trump told the crowd. “In fact, it’s actually one of my biggest problems. I don’t know who the hell to deal with. It’s a problem. It’s the only country in the world where nobody wants to be president. They say, ‘Who wants to be president? Oh no, I don’t want to be.’ So it’s a little bit of a problem.”
READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Number of troops injured in Middle East since start of Iran war surpasses 750
Washington Examiner: Oil flows and Iranian economic woes give White House much-needed PR reprieve around war
Washington Examiner: Iran’s president calls for peace ‘today’ in acknowledgment of economic warfare
Washington Examiner: Iranian hackers disabled UK power plant for four days: Report
Washington Examiner: Army to phase out drone battalion created to learn lessons from Ukraine war
Washington Examiner: US military kills two in ‘lethal kinetic strike’ in Pacific Ocean
Washington Examiner: CIA sees ‘unprecedented’ number of retirements: Report
Washington Examiner: US-Canada trade deal collapses as Trump’s 50% tariffs go into effect
Washington Examiner: Carney says US ‘attacked’ Canada with tariffs and promises retaliation
Washington Examiner: Canada ‘doesn’t have a military,’ Duffy says as cross-border trade war ignites
Washington Examiner: What’s happening on the USS Lincoln is more complicated than partisan politics
Washington Examiner: ICC president decries being sanctioned by US: ‘Demise of international rule of law’
Washington Examiner: When a sunken Humvee becomes a successful failure
Washington Examiner: Scams involving AI bots posing as immigration lawyers rise amid deportations
Washington Examiner: Pence says he’s ‘heartened’ after transgender former CIA briefer praises his treatment of her
Financial Times: Scott Bessent: an economic D-Day is coming for Iran
Wall Street Journal: Army Secretary Expected to Step Down by Year’s End
AP: Iran official says support for new sanctions would be an ‘act of war’
Wall Street Journal: Russia Tests Readiness for New Round of Military Mobilization
New York Times: A Drone Killed Three Ukrainians. It Was Guided Entirely by A.I.
Washington Post: Secret White House bunker undercuts Trump’s ballroom lawsuit, ex-officials say
New York Times: The U.S. Start-Up Making Low-Cost Interceptors for the Iran War
Aviation Week: US Navy Testing New Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile
Bloomberg: South Korea Says US Cuts Another Military Drill, Citing Middle East
Defense One: AI-Enabled Deception Threatens Future Operations, Raises Chances of Large Conflict, Says Special Operations Leader
AP: He was waiting for his son to return from the USS Lincoln. Then Border Patrol arrested him.
DefenseScoop: US Military to Host Directed Energy ‘Shoot-Off’ amid Governmentwide Counter-Drone Push
Reuters: Taiwan Proposes Boosting 2027 Defense Spending 18% to a Record High
Breaking Defense: ‘Hot Competition’: NSA Deputy Sounds Alarm on China Threat, AI Race
The War Zone: Saab Unveils Stealthy Supersonic ‘Fighter Drone’ Concept
Defense News: India Seeks Role in France’s Sixth-Generation Fighter Program
Breaking Defense: Space War 2040: SPACECOM Preps for Attacks on Ground Segments, Eyes Cislunar Ops
Washington Post: Doctors say Trump’s weight poses a significant health risk
The Hill: Reports of Sexual Assault in Military Dropped for Third Year in a Row: Pentagon
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Command to Relocate 200 Personnel to Alabama This Year
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Minot, Andersen Facilities Deteriorating as Military Building Repairs Lag, GAO Says
Air & Space Forces Magazine: 8 Dead as Contractor Plane Crashes near Remote Alaska Radar Site
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Former Air Force Secretary James G. Roche Dies at 86
THE CALENDAR:
MONDAY | AUGUST 24
10 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute book discussion: Twenty Times I almost Died: Lessons on Life and War, with author John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at West Point Modern War Institute https://www.hudson.org/events/twenty-times-i-almost-died-lessons-life-war
3 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The Iran War at Six Months: Energy, Markets, and National Security,” with Joseph Majkut, director, CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program; and Clayton Seigle, nonresident senior associate, CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program https://www.csis.org/events/iran-war-six-months-energy-markets-and-national-security
TUESDAY | AUGUST 25
10 a.m. — The Arab Gulf States Institute virtual discussion: “The Challenge of Gulf-China Ties: Reassessing Beijing’s Role After the Iran War,” with Mohammed Al-Sudairi, senior researcher for the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies; Aaron Glasserman, fellow of Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute; Chuchu Zhang, associate professor of international relations at Fudan University’s School of International Relations and Public Affairs; and Robert Mogfielnicki, AGSI non-resident senior fellow https://agsi.org/events/the-challenge-of-gulf-china-ties
10 a.m. — National Endowment for Democracy virtual event, “Beyond the Taliban: Five Years of Afghan Resilience and Resistance.” https://www.ned.org/events/beyond-the-taliban-five-years-of-afghan-resilience
2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual briefing: “Rethinking Command and Control Resiliency at the Tactical Edge,” with Col. Rett Burroughs, director, capabilities directorate for the U.S. Army; Swish CTO Sean Applegate; and Ian Kelly, senior director for solutions engineering for Cloudflare https://gist360.swishdata.com/rethinking-c2-webinar
WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 26
9 a.m. 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — International Atomic Energy Agency International High-level Forum to launch the Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea (ATLAS) initiative, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright; and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi https://www.iaea.org/events/atlas2026/participation-and-registration
1 p.m. — Foreign Policy webinar: “Why America is Running Out of Munitions,” with Tom Karako, director, Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Missile Defense Project https://foreignpolicy.com/live/tom-karako-america-munitions-depleted
2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group’s Pole Star Defense virtual discussion: “Protecting the Routes That Keep Global Trade Moving,” with Robert Borka, associate administrator for strategic sealift at the Maritime Administration; Saleem Khan, chief data and analytics officer for Pole Star Defense; and David Hutchins, director of defense technologies and naval systems for GovExec’s Forecast International https://events.govexec.com/the-invisible-battlespace
THURSDAY | AUGUST 27
8 a.m. 3111 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church, Va. — Potomac Officers Club 2026 Navy Summit with Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao; and Acting Navy Chief Information Officer Barry Tanner https://www.potomacofficersclub.com/events/2026-navy-summit/
8:45 a.m. 5701 Marinelli Rd., Rockville, Md. — Intelligence and National Security Alliance and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association 2026 Intelligence and National Security Summit: “Peace Through Strength,” with Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Adams, director, Defense Intelligence Agency; William Adkins, acting director, National Reconnaissance Office; and Army Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp, director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency https://26inss.epwebsite.com/Program/Registration-Packages
3:45 p.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “AI and Autonomy on the Modern Battlefield,” with former Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Gen. James Cartwright; Owen Daniels, Atlantic Council nonresident senior fellow; and Joe Costa, director, Atlantic Council’s Forward Defense Program https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/ai-and-autonomy-on-the-modern-battlefield/
FRIDAY | AUGUST 28
11 a.m. 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Texas — President Donald Trump delivers remarks at NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.
7 p.m. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW — Politics and Prose Bookstore book discussion: “The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements That Changed the World,” with author Stuart Eizenstat, former U.S. ambassador to the European Union; and former U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills https://politics-prose.com/stuart-e-eizenstat-082826
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 11
9:30 a.m. National Press Club — Arms Control Association briefing: “Mitigating the Risks of AI in Nuclear Operations.” with retired Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan; Herb Lin, senior research scholar and Hank J. Holland fellow in cyber policy and security at the Hoover Institution and Stanford University; Matthew Sharp, a senior nuclear fellow, Center for Nuclear Security Policy at MIT and former acting deputy assistant secretary of state for nuclear affairs; and Erin Dumbacher, Stanton nuclear security senior fellow and director, Defense and National Security program, Council on Foreign Relations https://secure.everyaction.com/
THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 17
9:30 a.m. SVC-217, U.S. Capitol — Senate Armed Services Committee CLOSED briefing on the implementation of the National Defense Strategy and its impact on global defense posture. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
