The Problem With Hegseth’s Pentagon

A Special Forces veteran joins the columnist David French to assess Pete Hegseth’s leadership.

By David French and Mike Nelson

Produced by Jillian Weinberger

What impact has the Iran war had on the U.S. military? As the conflict drags on, the Times Opinion columnist and Iraq war veteran David French speaks with the former Special Forces officer Mike Nelson about the way Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, has tried to remake the military in the midst of the war, and what the Democrats should do if they win control of Congress in January.

The Problem With Hegseth’s Pentagon

Below is a transcript of an episode of “The Opinions.” We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect. You can do so using the player above or on the NYTimes app, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

The transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

David French: As some listeners might know, before I went into journalism, I served in the U.S. Army. I was a judge advocate general officer, an Army lawyer. I deployed to........

© The New York Times