They Planned to “Wait Out” Trump, Ignore Executive Orders, and Keep “False and Sinister” Progressive Frameworks Alive
War Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a blistering warning to military academics on Monday, accusing elements within the prestigious U.S. Naval War College of attempting to undermine President Donald Trump’s executive orders and preserve progressive ideological frameworks until his administration leaves office.
Speaking to roughly 700 students, faculty, and staff, Hegseth made clear that the days of war colleges drifting into academic salons infected by the same toxic ideas that corrupted civilian universities are over.
“Our review identified a stubborn undercurrent of passive-aggressive institutional resistance,” he said. “There are those who believe that they can HIDE behind civilian academic tenure and regional accreditation mandates to wait out President Trump’s term in office. They think they can IGNORE executive orders and preserve FALSE and SINISTER progressive frameworks until the political winds shift!”
He was unequivocal: “Hear me clearly. They’re wrong. They’re dead wrong.”
The reforms Hegseth directed that day, detailed in an eight-page memorandum with 33 immediate directives, are designed to reinforce military education around a singular standard: forging leaders who will win America’s wars.
They reinforce each person’s oath to the Constitution, not to ideas “that are anathema to the Western tradition.”
“Toxic and destructive ideas, ideas that corrupted our universities have little by little crept into our war colleges,” Hegseth stated.
“The reforms that I’m directing today are designed to reinforce military education, focus on winning our nation’s wars, and reinforcing each person’s oath to our Constitution, NOT to adopt ideas that perpetuate, that are anathema to the Western tradition.”
🚨 HOLY CRAP! SecWar Pete Hegseth just exposed elite academics to their FACE at the Naval War College — he found out they're trying to OUT-WAIT Trump's time in office to avoid complying with executive orders 🤯
"They think they can IGNORE executive orders and preserve FALSE and… pic.twitter.com/XfGXp18PSh
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 9, 2026