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Pete Hegseth: “Lawyers are not commanders. Lawyers are advisors.”

Featuring: Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense | National

Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell.

Published February 21, 2026 | Video Starts at 18:51

We are not imposing restrictive rules of engagement. We are not allowing you to be second guessed at every turn. The Lawyers are not commanders. Lawyers are advisors. Commanders are commanders and they make the decisions about how to accomplish the mission on behalf of the American people. That maximizes the death and destruction of our enemies and saves lives of Americans so that we come home. (18:51–18:56)

CLAIM

Asserts that lawyers should serve as advisors, not commanders, in military operations.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Pete Hegseth

“The President announce $1.5 trillion for our defense spending in fiscal year 2027.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 04:32-04:38
“Tens of millions of people, we have no idea who they are and why they're coming here. That's the definition of an invasion.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 05:52-05:59
“We relentlessly bombed the Houthis until they cried uncle and said, okay, we're done shooting at your ships.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 07:32-07:38
“Operation midnight hammer where seven beautiful B2s went 37 hours back down and back downtown Tehran before they could even be seen…”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 07:52-08:05
“America's best went into the most fortified house, inside the most fortified compound, inside their most fortified fort, think the Fort…”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 08:30-08:54
“For too long, under previous administrations, there were distractions that moved into our formations and across our military.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 00:46-00:55
“In the realm of foreign policy and national security, we want peace, but you achieve peace through strength.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 01:26-01:33
“We've had three very simple [goals]: Restore the warrior ethos, rebuild the military, reestablish deterrent.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 01:42-01:48
“The dumbest phrase in military history is, our diversity is our strength.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 03:21-03:26
“It's quality of life. It's pay, it's barracks, it's chow halls, it's health care.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 04:52-04:58
“The war in Ukraine, which never would have started under President Trump.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 05:47-05:51
“Hundred percent operational control of the border. That's our goal. That's what will happen.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 06:24-06:30
“Border security is national security.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 06:29-06:32
“Now if you're trafficking drugs and you're a designated terrorist organization, you are a target.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 06:46-06:51
“President Trump said we will re establish our shipping lanes and freedom of navigation.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 07:26-07:33
“No other military in the world can do what the United States military can do when it is unleashed.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 09:09-09:19
“Eric Garrison...Received a Silver Star for actions in 2008. Was upgraded recently to the Distinguished Service Cross for actions in Baghdad…”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 12:05-12:18
“The President of the United States has charged me with ensuring that we, when we go into a fight, it is not a fair fight.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 18:27-18:42
“We are untying the hands of our war fighters.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 18:38-18:42
“We are not imposing restrictive rules of engagement.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 18:41-18:45
“We are not allowing you to be second guessed at every turn.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 18:45-18:51
“Commanders are commanders and they make the decisions about how to accomplish the mission on behalf of the American people.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 18:55-19:03
“We will use every moment of our time to infuse the Rakasan ethos into every formation across our joint force.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 19:57-20:07
“The American people voted for a return to that toughness and that grit and that merit based promotion system and lethality.”
Secretary Hegseth remarks to the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. | Uploaded February 21, 2026 | 20:51-21:02