Pete Hegseth has survived Signal leaks, congressional grilling, repeated calls for his resignation, and a net negative 17 approval rating. On Wednesday, his boss slapped him on the arm, called him Central Casting, and told a room full of cabinet members that he loves war. In the Trump administration, that qualifies as a good day.
Trump slaps Hegseth arm and says ‘He loves war’ in Cabinet kickoff
Defense secretary returns the praise as he compares
Trump to Washington and Lincoln pic.twitter.com/WM1tX6aSZV— Simo Saadi (@Simo7809957085) May 27, 2026
The Cabinet meeting started with a shift in plans.
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It was originally scheduled for Camp David before Trump moved it to the White House, posting on Truth Social: “Based on the possible bad weather conditions tomorrow, we will be having our Cabinet Meeting in the White House, and will be postponing the Cabinet trip to Camp David. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Washington’s weather on Wednesday was 72 degrees and partly cloudy.
The tone of the meeting was set almost immediately. “We have great people, and the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Central Casting,” Trump told the room, before adding: “He loves war.”
Hegseth responded with far more words. He compared Trump to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln before turning to Operation Epic Fury. “When you authorized Operation Epic Fury, just like you talked about with the reflecting pool, we didn’t do the same old thing the way we’d done it in the past, after Iraq and Afghanistan, the way we waged wars. Instead, you said we’re going to do this smart, we’re going to do it overwhelming, we’re going to use maximum lethality, and we’re going to bring them to their knees,” Hegseth said. The reflecting pool renovation and the destruction of Iran’s navy were framed in the same historical breath.
From there, the meeting turned into a steady competition in praise. Hegseth’s Washington-Lincoln comparison stood out even in a room where “under your leadership” is the standard opening line. No one appeared interested in winning the exchange, and no winner emerged.
While that dynamic played out, the Iran situation remained unresolved. Trump told reporters the Strait of Hormuz will remain under American oversight. “We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have,” he said.
He also said he is “not talking” about easing sanctions and is “not comfortable” with Russia or China handling Iran’s uranium stockpile. Rubio, speaking from India, told reporters: “It’ll take a few days. The president’s expressed his desire to make it — he’s either going to make a good deal or no deal.” He has been repeating that timeline for two weeks.
A separate detail hovered in the background of the day. It came one day after Trump’s fourth medical visit in thirteen months at Walter Reed.
Trump closed the session by slapping the table twice, standing up, and thumping Hegseth on the shoulder. The Secretary of War, Central Casting, who loves war, appeared to take it in stride.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
