Signal, Secrecy, and the Sickness of Empire: Pete Hegseth and the Implosion of U.S. Military Credibility

According to NPR, Pete Hegseth—Fox News pundit turned Pentagon chief under Trump 2.0—leaked classified military details about upcoming strikes in Yemen not once, but twice, into private group chats. One included his family. The other, accidentally, included a journalist. This wasn’t some spy novel scenario. It was real life—and it could’ve gotten people killed.

Meet the Secretary of Instagram Warfare

Let’s be clear: Pete Hegseth wasn’t qualified to run a gas station, let alone the U.S. Department of Defense. He was a weekend war hero turned right-wing media darling, who found himself in charge of the largest military budget in the world. And just like the empire he represents, he’s reckless, arrogant, and surrounded by loyalists more committed to PR than policy. This is what technofascism looks like in the flesh—style over strategy, spectacle over substance, and the militarization of vibes.

The Digital Crack-Up of U.S. Power

What does it mean when the Secretary of Defense is leaking intel on encrypted apps while American drones drop bombs on Yemen? It means the empire is not just collapsing—it’s rotting from the inside. The U.S. war machine has always run on secrets and spin. But in the era of Trump 2.0, it’s now run on paranoia, group chats, and political theater. Hegseth’s leaks weren’t about strategy. They were about ego. And they exposed the U.S. military’s deep crisis of coherence.

Collateral Damage: Truth, Trust, and Troops

This isn’t just about one man. It’s about what the whole damn system has become. Within days of the leaks, multiple Pentagon advisors were fired or walked out. Some say they were scapegoated. Others say they leaked first. Either way, this is what counterinsurgency looks like when it turns inward. Loyalty to the regime replaces competence. Obedience to the narrative trumps security. And American troops are left flying into airspace their own bosses might be texting about in real time.

Empire by Group Chat

Remember: this is the same government that lectures the world about discipline, democracy, and responsible governance. But behind the curtain, the war planners are forwarding strike coordinates on Signal. This is not an accident—it’s an empire that’s grown so insulated, so unaccountable, that it can’t tell the difference between classified ops and clubhouse banter. That’s not national defense. That’s imperial burnout.

Conclusion: The End of Credibility

Pete Hegseth is a symptom, not the disease. The U.S. state has been hollowed out—by privatization, militarization, and the replacement of strategy with social media theatrics. Trump 2.0 didn’t create this system. He just made it impossible to ignore. And now, with generals leaking war plans and intelligence scrambled in the group chat, the whole façade is coming down. Not with integrity. Not with strategy. But with emojis, egos, and errors. And the world is watching.