War Chief Hegseth Says US Military Is Done With ‘Politically Correct’ Rules of Engagement

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in an address to hundreds of generals and admirals on Tuesday that there should be no more “politically correct” rules of engagement for the US military as he presented his recently rebranded Department of War as a ruthless force that can produce overwhelming violence.

“We’re training warriors, not defenders. We fight wars to win, not to defend. Defense is something you do all the time, it’s inherently reactionary and can lead to overreach and mission creep. War is something you do sparingly,” Hegseth told the crowd of senior officers at the US Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia.

“On our own terms, and with clear aims, we fight to win. We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also don’t fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement. Just common sense, maximum lethality, and authority for warfighters,” he added.