How Hegseth has transformed the Pentagon’s wartime press operation
The spotlight of war inevitably shines on the Defense secretary’s personality and priorities. Donald Rumsfeld, Pentagon chief when President George W. Bush launched the Iraq War, stepped into the briefing room almost every day, sometimes at his own peril. In his memoirs, he reflected on his “misstatement” about weapons of mass destruction sites and “ill-chosen…
Read MoreThe past and possibly future blue wave
The 2006 midterm election was a “blue wave” that resulted in a Republican rout, due to the unpopular Iraq War, low presidential approval ratings, and government spending, which could be repeated in 2026 if the same factors are present.
Read MoreI was the US soft power czar. Our popularity may never recover | Richard Stengel
Trump’s venal persona and his war on Iran will do untold damage to America’s ability to make a positive difference in the worldEarly one Sunday morning in the summer of 2003, I drove into the center of a little South African beach town on the Indian Ocean to pick up the Cape papers. Local news…
Read MoreJustified or not? US military families on fears of Iran war
BBC’s North America editor Sarah Smith spoke to Gold Star mum Lynn, whose son died in the Iraq War, and veteran Jeremy.
Read More