- John Oliver urged the incoming Democratic congress to impeach and remove Pete Hegseth during his HBO show, criticizing his actions as 'taking a wrecking ball' to the military.
- Hegseth's past history includes workplace sexual creepiness, drunkenness, and a tenure at Fox News.
- As Secretary of Defense, Hegseth has taken a 'wrecking ball' to the US military, purging Black and women officers and instituting a ban on transgender troops.
- In late September, Hegseth outlined plans in a 'State of the Force' address, including 'no more PowerPoint trainings or drag queen shows' and 'no more gender pronouns.'
John Oliver has launched a fierce critique of Pete Hegseth, the incoming Democrats' likely first impeachment target, branding his military overhaul as 'Dr. Seuss for concussed bigots.' Oliver's full-episode takedown highlighted Hegseth's troubling history, including allegations of workplace sexual misconduct and a controversial tenure at Fox News.12
Oliver detailed Hegseth's actions at the Department of Defense, where he has purged Black and women officers in an anti-DEI crusade and instituted a ban on transgender troops. He criticized Hegseth's rhetoric, which dismisses war crimes regulations as 'for sissies.' Oliver remarked, 'Look, there is clearly damage here that cannot be undone, but the very least we can do is to try and stem it by impeaching and removing this fucking asshole as soon as possible.'
The host also referenced Hegseth's spiritual advisers, whose extreme views reflect Hegseth's own. He noted a military chopper fly-by of Kid Rock's mansion as a breach of discipline, and criticized Hegseth's public persona, stating, 'If you’re going to go on stage and spew hate, at least don’t flub the delivery.' Oliver's call for impeachment underscores the urgency for Democrats to act against Hegseth's controversial leadership.
Hegseth's policies have sparked outrage, particularly his characterization of military service members as 'people who kill people and break things for a living.' His recent statements have drawn criticism for promoting a culture of exclusion within the military.
“Hegseth has purged Black and women officers and banned transgender troops, blocking about 10% of top military officers. Oliver also highlighted Hegseth's mother calling him 'an abuser of women' and his 'Deus Vult' white nationalist slogan.”
A.V. ClubThe Guardian
