1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

Secretary of “War” Pete Hegseth has got to go. His tenure has been disastrous for our troops and country. In his “State of the Force” address, he used the appalling and inappropriate language, “no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos,” an act that is entirely unbecoming and demonstrates he is unfit to lead. (What are “beardos?” Are they African-American men who had previously received a medical exemption for shaving due to painful ingrown hairs? Are they Sikh men who wear a beard for religious reasons?) Hegseth’s demented focus on performative masculinity, aggression, and culture wars has endangered our troops (like the sailors going without rations on the USS Abraham Lincoln), alienated allies, and whittled down experienced, capable leadership throughout all of the branches of the Armed Forces. It will take decades to recover from the loss of leadership and damage to our reputation abroad. We have lost the trust and goodwill of our allies and the international community and the respect of our military personnel. But we can take the first step toward rebuilding by taking a firm stand now. Insist on the impeachment and removal of Secretary Hegseth!