As controversy swirls around the Pentagon, Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) is calling for reinforcements—not for the military, but for the man in charge of it.
In a candid interview on Wednesday, Cramer, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed his continued support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. But he also acknowledged what many in Washington are whispering: Hegseth may be in over his head.
“He’s going to need some help around him. One of the things he has lacked in the early days is some real .. institutional expertise in the building, and that’s part of why he’s there is to bust up the club a bit,” Cramer told. “But I think the monster that is the Pentagon was perhaps a bigger monster than he even thought.”
Hegseth’s tenure as Secretary of Defense was always expected to shake things up. Known for his outspoken style and conservative media presence, he was brought in to “bust up the club,” as Cramer put it. But recent events have raised concerns that the shake-up has turned into a full-blown crisis.
In just a few weeks, Hegseth has made headlines for firing three top staffers. A fourth former staff member went public, describing the Pentagon as being in “disarray” under his watch. Even more alarming, reports surfaced that Hegseth used a private Signal chat to share sensitive military plans with his wife and brother, raising serious questions about operational security and protocol.
These developments have critics, including former Defense spokesperson John Ullyot, speaking out. In a weekend opinion piece, Ullyot painted a grim picture of Hegseth’s leadership, calling the past month a period of “total chaos” and a “full-blown meltdown.”
Ullyot dismissed claims that staffers were fired over leaks as “None of this is true,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, Hegseth’s team has developed a habit of spreading flat-out, easily debunked falsehoods anonymously about their colleagues on their way out the door.” He accused Hegseth’s team of smearing colleagues on their way out the door, further fueling tensions within the department.
Cramer, while still backing Hegseth, admitted the scale of the Pentagon may have been underestimated by its new chief.
Despite the turmoil, Cramer insisted Hegseth still has the potential to be an “excellent secretary,” provided he surrounds himself with the right people.
It’s a delicate balance. Cramer praised Hegseth’s willingness to part ways with even close friends in the name of reform. But he also emphasized the importance of working within the system, noting that even disruptors need insiders to help them navigate the maze of inter-agency politics and traditions.
As pressure mounts, all eyes will be on
