«He was on Tucker’s podcast final night time along with his first feedback since he was fired. In that dialog, Caldwell means that he was pressured out of the Pentagon—not as a result of he leaked something to any member of the press, which he denies—however as a result of he’s anti-war with Iran on account of his experiences in Iraq. That basically began pushing me towards the place I’m now in international coverage, like we have to do one thing in a different way, and in a means, it radicalized me on this.
And there’s actually an argument that, if you’re speaking about international coverage, it’s essential be chilly and indifferent. Some folks say realists must be chilly and indifferent. I don’t essentially imagine that.
However you already know, once I hear about launching a brand new army operation, when somebody talks about one thing, my first thought is: What’s it going to be like for the blokes? What’s it going to be like for the boys who’ll be on the entrance traces? Now, the suggestion implies that Secretary Hegseth, or those that recommended to Hegseth that Caldwell be fired, assume in a different way from Caldwell in that regard.
Though I can let you know from many conversations with Pete over the previous six months, he’s removed from a neocon. We’ve talked about all of this. He was way more pro-war, as a lot of the Republican Occasion was in the course of the Bush years—he signed up. He left Princeton to go battle. I imply, he had that mindset, like many people did after 9/11. That’s why he volunteered and fought in Gitmo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. However he’s had a critical change of coronary heart because of these experiences. Similar to Caldwell, Pete just isn’t a neocon.»
Dan Caldwell, senior advisor to Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth, was dismissed from the Pentagon on April 15, 2025, amid an investigation into leaks of delicate info. Though authorities cited “unauthorized disclosure” because the official cause, Caldwell maintains that his dismissal was politically motivated on account of his opposition to a possible struggle with Iran, formed by his experiences in Iraq.
Caldwell, together with two different senior officers, was escorted out of the Pentagon after being linked to a personal chat on the Sign app, the place army plans had been mentioned, together with potential strikes on the Houthis in Yemen. This chat, dubbed “SignalGate,” included high nationwide safety officers and, by mistake, journalist Jeffrey Goldberg.
