Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on Tuesday praised Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Newsmax, saying the former Army officer is setting a clear and uncompromising vision for the U.S. military by restoring traditional standards of leadership and readiness.
Reflecting on Hegseth's blunt address to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, the Senate Armed Services Committee member said that Hegseth is setting a new tone for the U.S. military by calling its leaders to a higher standard.
"You saw a leader, as you said, you saw Pete Hegseth grow up," Mullin told "Finnerty."
"I saw a leader stand forward and draw a clear picture of what he expects for the military. He said from the beginning of even his confirmation hearings, that one, we're going to focus on the warfighter and two, lethality.
"And he wants his leaders to lead from the front. That's what the military is known for. And that's what true leaders do. They lead from the front. They set the example."
Mullin said Hegseth's approach to leadership resonated with him personally.
"If I wanted my employees to show up at 7:30 every morning, I needed to be there at 7," Mullin said. "If I wanted my employees to be available, when I made a phone call to them, I needed to answer my phone call when they called me.
"If I wanted my employees to answer the phone after hours, I had to make sure I answered my phone call after hours ... because leaders lead by setting the example."
He emphasized that Hegseth was moving to restore discipline and fitness across the armed forces.
"What I like the best about this is not just he's kicking out all this 'woke' stuff, but he also emphasized to the admirals and to the generals we're not having fat ones walk through the Pentagon anymore," Mullin said.
"If you want your soldiers and you want your airmen and you want those that you're leading to be in physical fitness, then you need to lead from the front in that aspect, and I applaud it."
Mullin said he texted Hegseth directly after his remarks.
"Mr. Secretary, my heart and my chest is pounding with pride right now," Mullin wrote. "Thank you for standing up and setting an example."
Reflecting on military recruitment under President Donald Trump, Mullin noted that enlistment numbers are on the rise again.
"You have individuals that are signing up because they want to fight for America," Mullin said. "They didn't sign up to be part of DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion]. They didn't sign up to be part of this 'woke' movement. They want to be part of an elite organization, and you've got to lead from the front in that."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.