Hegseth Issues Veiled Order to Military to Vote Republican in Midterms

[u/Aggravating_Money992]

https://newrepublic.com/post/215887/pete-hegseth-veiled-order-military-vote-republican-midterms

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[u/Terrible_turtle_]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed America’s military members and their families to vote in the midterm election, not-so-subtly suggesting Friday that they could make the difference in some districts predicted to vote blue.

He cited a 2024 presidential election analysis as evidence, claiming that 300,000 “warriors” were not registered to vote that year.

“That’s more than the ballots cast in cities like Detroit, Boston, Milwaukee, or Seattle,” Hegseth said in a video statement, specifically naming liberal cities.

No matter where you are, please vote to turn the Senate blue. It is the best chance at stopping this madness.

[u/tiny_galaxies → u/Terrible_turtle_]

  specifically naming liberal cities

To be fair, I can’t think of a single conservative large city.

[u/11Slip532 → u/tiny_galaxies]

There are none. It turns out when you have to interact with other humans and live alongside strangers, you develop empathy.

[u/praguepride → u/11Slip532]

Brennan Lee Mulligan described living in NYC as a weekly reminder that you are not always the main character. He talked about walking down the street and seeing a couple fighting and woman was throwing all the guys stuff on the street while the guy threatened to sleep with her OTHER sister too.

BLM was like “well I guess I am just set dressing in that story”

[u/Cavane42 → u/praguepride]

I have stepped in puddles so deep and so cold that I was barely the same person when I stepped out again.

Brennan Lee Mulligan, on NYC

[u/11Slip532 → u/praguepride]

I aspire to be set dressing in a scenario like that. 😂

[u/Vanderwoolf → u/11Slip532]

I watched a fast food worker and customer nearly have a fistfight at the airport this morning over a dropped tater tot.

[u/ctp8891 → u/Vanderwoolf]

Airport hot tots are like 2 bones a piece, man.

[u/LordGigglefist → u/praguepride]

Love Brennan

[u/FunetikPrugresiv → u/11Slip532]

I think it's less that, and more that they lose their one-dimensional, cartoonish concepts of other groups. People that live their whole lives in these small rural towns never know anybody outside of their protected bubbles, making it easier for dehumanizing media messages to resonate with them.

[u/_GreenHouse_ → u/FunetikPrugresiv]

... that's empathy

[u/wonkothesane13 → u/FunetikPrugresiv]

That's the same thing but phrased differently

[u/lysdexic_mule → u/FunetikPrugresiv]

"I think it's less that..." and then goes on to describe systematic empathy

[u/Jibber_Fight → u/FunetikPrugresiv]

It can be both.

[u/Bythion → u/tiny_galaxies]

Dallas has a Republican mayor, but only because he switched parties right after he won reelection.

[u/SayHelloToAlison → u/Bythion]

Fort Worth is the largest city with an actually elected republican, and, coincidentally, is one of the worst cities in the US.

[u/L4zyrus → u/tiny_galaxies]

Jacksonville, Florida. Oklahoma City. Fort Worth if you willing to consider a rapidly growing semi-urban city.

[u/Washpa1 → u/L4zyrus]

They're not sending their best with those cities. Yikes.

[u/mnoram → u/Washpa1]

Well but that's the thing, those ARE their best.

[u/sack-o-matic → u/Washpa1]

Republican “cities” are mostly just car based segregated suburbs. Their “not communist” zoning keeps them segregated.

[u/Belichick12 → u/L4zyrus]

Trump won 2 of the 3 counties by less than 2% and one by 5%. If they swing the same way as the country has all 3 will have more D vs R votes in 2026 house elections.

[u/Inside_Pomelo_462 → u/L4zyrus]

Jacksonville has a democratic mayor right now

[u/Spiralofourdiv → u/tiny_galaxies]

As somebody whose safety may depend on the political leanings of specific regions, I have learned there is no such thing as a “red state” or “blue state”, there are simply urban and rural areas.

[u/Development-Alive → u/Terrible_turtle_]

It sounds like military register at a lower rate than the population and vote even less. Given the changes Hegseth has been implementing, along with the Iran War, I wonder how many of those 300k would vote Red at this point?

[u/freelance-t → u/Development-Alive]

Exactly. He’s alienated black people (shaving issues), at least two entire navy ship crews, women, all the upper level officers he yanked across the globe for his rah rah man club rally, and I’m sure a ton of others. I doubt he’s popular in the ranks.

[u/homerjaythompson → u/freelance-t]

Don't forget Hispanics. Many voted for Trump in 2024, but ICE coming and arresting service members' wives and family members is going to have an impact on votes I am sure.

[u/You_meddling_kids → u/freelance-t]

The entire Navy knows what's happened on those shops (and smaller vessels that don't get press)

[u/Zeddo52SD → u/Terrible_turtle_]

Adam Nate Silver’s polling average has Democrats in range of getting to 53 seats, with 56 seats being possible if things swing more left. Kansas is in play at this point it looks like, and SC could be too if things keep getting worse.

Edit: Nate Silver, not Adam Silver. Apologies.

[u/TyroneSwoopes → u/Zeddo52SD]

Adam silver is the NBA commissioner. Looks like Voldemort. I think you mean Nate silver lol

[u/Achurro → u/Zeddo52SD]

I wouldn’t trust the commissioners polling numbers tho. He has to ban uncle Denis from voting for a year lol.

[u/obibonkajovi → u/Terrible_turtle_]

there are a ton of blue active military as well.

[u/thealtrightiscancer → u/Terrible_turtle_]

How the fuck are they supposed to vote when they can’t mail it in.

[u/brute-forced → u/Terrible_turtle_]

Nah man, I want $10/gal gas and nazi stephen miller running this country some more!

[u/lalalatkes → u/Terrible_turtle_]

It will delay the madness, at most.

To stop the madness requires many difficult things that Americans don’t have the appetite or humility for.

[u/chadius333 → u/[deleted]]

All the anti-French stuff is pure U.S. propaganda. It’s been going on for decades. The U.S. doesn’t want their citizens doing what French citizens would do when their government tries to fuck them.

[u/MikeyKillerBTFU → u/[deleted]]

And that's just step 1

[u/BradPitt182]

Sounds pretty illegal instructing the military on who to vote for

[u/Lone-Frequency → u/BradPitt182]

I don't know about the service members, but I certainly wouldn't vote for anybody that a raging alcoholic makeup-wearing war criminal wanted me to.

[u/Corcorans-ghost → u/Lone-Frequency]

the officers won't, but the enlisted?

some of the dumbest people i have ever met, were fellow recruits to the US Army

and im told its worse in the marines

[u/semidegenerate → u/Corcorans-ghost]

What do you call Marines with an IQ of 160?

A platoon.

[u/NotYourRealDad810 → u/semidegenerate]

I just spit out my crayons.

[u/DistinctlyIrish → u/NotYourRealDad810]

That's messed up, think of how many hungry marines would love to eat those but now they're on the ground and they'll have to bend down to pick them up first...

[u/DPSOnly → u/NotYourRealDad810]

I've seen the pictures from aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, crayons would be preferable.

[u/PaterMcKinley → u/NotYourRealDad810]

Better not have been grape....I mean purple.

[u/LightsaberThrowAway → u/PaterMcKinley]

They only use purple for stealth missions.

[u/AggravatingSalad4136 → u/LightsaberThrowAway]

Ah, a man of kultur

[u/Hot-Air-5511 → u/semidegenerate]

If they knew how to read they'd be upset. OIF/OEF

[u/w0nderbrad → u/Hot-Air-5511]

They're still sounding it out. Give them time. No tricky diphthongs so they'll be done sounding out the sentence in about 15 more minutes

[u/AdUpstairs7106 → u/Corcorans-ghost]

One day a bartender was cleaning some beer glasses when a Marine in dress blues came in. A few minutes later another Marine came in and they gave each other a high five and said "45 days." More Marines trickled in all celebrating at the mention of "45 days." Finally a senior NCO and officer came in and the NCO was holding a completed puzzle of the Cookie Monster that was in a picture frame. When the senior NCO held it up the Marines started celebrating.

The bartender went over asked what was going on. The officer snapped to attention and said "Everyone thinks Marines are dumb. So we set out to prove everyone wrong. This puzzle says it takes 5-7 years and we put it put it together in 45 days."

[u/Trimyr → u/AdUpstairs7106]

I love the old comparison jokes especially at the end the AF "What's this tent doing in my hotel room?"

I haven't heard that one before. Pretty good though.

Got a friend I work with sometimes, and BTW his favorite color is grape. :)

[u/AdUpstairs7106 → u/Trimyr]

Have you heard the one on how to explain the relationship of each branch to a civilian?

[u/LightsaberThrowAway → u/AdUpstairs7106]

I haven’t.  How do you explain the relationship of each branch to a civilian?

[u/AdUpstairs7106 → u/LightsaberThrowAway]

The Army, Navy, and Marines are all brothers in a family. Army is the oldest... Mom and Dad made all their parenting mistakes with him. The Navy is the middle son. They are explorers who left home and no one cared. The Marines are the youngest. Mom and Dad let them do whatever they wanted and they still have an inferiority complex due to their size. Well, Mom and Dad got a divorce once all the boys were grown. Mom eventually got remarried - to a rich guy - and quickly gave birth to a fourth son, the Air Force. Now she loves him the most... showers him with the best toys and buys him whatever he wants. When they go on vacation they fly first class, stay in 5-star hotels, and enjoy the finest meals. The Air Force is spoiled rotten and his three older brothers have a bitter resentment toward him for this.

Finally there is the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is the rich step dad’s son form his first marriage. None of the other brothers think or act like he is part of the family.

That is the best way to explain the various service branches and their internal dynamics to civilians.

[u/Akbeardman → u/Corcorans-ghost]

Just remember 50% of people that take the ASVAB don't pass. Roughly half the population is so dumb the Army doesn't think they can teach them to operate a shovel. That is terrifying.

[u/pp_chode → u/Akbeardman]

Man I was "homeschooled" and by that I mean the highest education I had before taking the asvab was fourth grade and I passed with a 71.

The minimum score for the army is 31 and people around me were upset that they failed it again.

There's a section where you match similar shapes. It's like the Idiocracy IQ test in real life.

[u/return_to_nothing → u/pp_chode]

I scored a 92 back in 2003, I turned 18 right after the US started in Iraq. I was told I could pick just about any job I wanted but would most likely not get it, then they told me I was 13 lbs overweight at 5’11” and 196lbs and I had to lose that weight in less than a week. Which made no sense because at the time I was working 12 hour days doing landscaping like digging 6ft wide 4ft deep holes all day on the side of highways and golf courses for palm trees. I didn’t have much of any fat after doing that after almost 2 years. I ended up finding a job that paid me a decent wage that didn’t require me to possibly be shipped off to war and I never looked back.

[u/HarmoniousJ → u/return_to_nothing]

You needed to be slightly more of a twink and less of an absolute chad is what I'm hearing.

[u/Akbeardman → u/HarmoniousJ]

No recruiter has ever determined a recruits weight to be acceptable since the draft ended.

[u/return_to_nothing → u/Akbeardman]

I really feel it was just my recruiter didn’t want to do any paperwork as he was about to be redeployed back to some comfortable position in Germany.

[u/Seriously_you_again → u/return_to_nothing]

That seems more likely. They can do a tape test for your fitness level where they actually measure your body with a tape measure. This accounts for high weight individuals due to muscle.

This was nearly 40 years ago so maybe that has changed?

[u/MildGenevaSuggestion → u/return_to_nothing]

Going from your description only one member of the squad in Predator would have qualified, as all the massive bodybuilders would have to lose weight. LMAO

[u/SweetCosmicPope → u/pp_chode]

I remember I was so worried about my ASVAB. I studied and studied and studied and ended up getting a 97. The navy pretty much told me I could have whatever job I wanted and tried to get me to go nuke.

When I was in RTC I met some of the absolutely dumbest people I've ever met in my life, and the Navy has a much higher score requirement than marines or army. I legit wondered what I was ever worried about.

[u/CedarWolf → u/SweetCosmicPope]

I wasn't stressed about the ASVAB and I got a 99 on it. It wasn't until after I had enlisted and got to my unit that they looked at my score and told me I should have gone officer.

[u/HeyYoChill → u/CedarWolf]

Ha, I also got a 99, and after the results came back, my recruiter pulled out the book of MOS's and told me I could just pick whatever I wanted.

Like a true high-IQ idiot, I picked infantry.

After infantry school, I got to my unit and the company gunny looked at my GT score and was like, "wtf are you doing here? Well, we need someone smart in the armory."

So I spent 3 years counting weapons and other assorted serialized gear.

[u/fresh-dork → u/HeyYoChill]

damn, i like that guy. he's practical

[u/SweetCosmicPope → u/CedarWolf]

I went in with an E4 ranking since I had most of an associates degree already. I was up for OCS, but then I got a medical discharge.

[u/lapsedhuman → u/SweetCosmicPope]

I scored the highest in my A school (I was the education PO in Navy boot camp). I was also told I could have any duty station assignment I wanted. They gave me three choices, so I chose Okinawa, Hawaii and San Diego. They sent me to Norfolk.

[u/Manungal → u/pp_chode]

I was unschooled after 2nd grade and passed with a score of 97. I don't know how. 

I do remember them asking me to identify like a fuel injector on a diagram and taking wild shots in the dark. 

[u/Akbeardman → u/Manungal]

It's a measure of your ability to take information and deduct it, not a measure of what you know. You were reading the diagram and subconsciously or not figured "well that's probably the fuel injector" or "ok that's the switch and the amprage will be X"

You did well because you figured stuff out which is why you were okay not having school as well. Realizing how few of your peers don't have the intuitive skills to figure things out is where it gets frightening.

[u/Corcorans-ghost → u/Akbeardman]

and they vote.

that is even more terrifying

[u/azflatlander → u/Corcorans-ghost]

They do not get smarter because they are joining the military. These are still in the population.

[u/MrPolli → u/Akbeardman]

That’s….. that’s the most depressing news I’ve heard this week. Damn.

[u/ReignGhost7824 → u/MrPolli]

It’s worse than it sounds. Failure just means whether you’re allowed to enlist. For the AFQT part, the passing grade is 31-36 / 100 depending on the branch. 30-40% of test takers score below that and can’t enlist.

[u/MrPolli → u/ReignGhost7824]

I’m a big supporter of education, so this data is actually really useful when talking about the need for education in the US. Really appreciate it.

That’s brutal, but I believe it 100%

[u/DillBagner → u/[deleted]]

Sim City knew about the violent crime part. I remember in the original if you put a military base, no amount of police could stop the crime.

[u/chasingjulian → u/DillBagner]

After a few games I alway declined the invitation to put a military base on my map. The economic boost didn’t offset the decrease land values and increase in police stations. I loved old school Sim City.

[u/DJmagikMIKE → u/DillBagner]

That’s funny! I never knew that. All I know is I’ve now lived in three different “Army towns” in my life, and it’s always the same.

[u/cephu5 → u/[deleted]]

Well It’s not like 17-18 year olds in general have a reputation for thinking about their actions. Add the “just out of Basic/AIT” giddiness along with a steady paycheck and…well, the results speak for themselves.

[u/CaribouYou → u/Corcorans-ghost]

Dubest

[u/daredwingsman → u/CaribouYou]

“Where”

[u/BanginNLeavin → u/daredwingsman]

They are good at making they're point I guess.

[u/cwood1973 → u/CaribouYou]

It's spelled with a "b" you know.

[u/Spirited_Suspect2908 → u/Corcorans-ghost]

"... were* fellow recruits..."

- A Marine ( ;

[u/Corcorans-ghost → u/Spirited_Suspect2908]

blame bush, i got no child left behinded

[u/ailish → u/Corcorans-ghost]

Dumb has a "b" in it, did you know that? Not everyone knows that, you know.

• Our stable genius of a president

[u/thoawaydatrash → u/Lone-Frequency]

Hey, there are plenty of alcoholic makeup-wearers who are perfectly lovely human beings otherwise!

[u/KovyJackson → u/BradPitt182]

It’s only illegal if the laws are enforced and the punishment isn’t just a slap on the wrist.

[u/TeeeldiII → u/KovyJackson]

There isnt even a slap on the wrist anymore, just full on anarchy 

[u/Xijit → u/BradPitt182]

It is extremely illegal and this act alone is going to put him in prison for life after Trump eventually dumps him / the MAGOTs lose influence in Washington.

Usually how the military manipulates service member votes is that they intentionally do not give you time off to vote, plus there is no instruction on how to register to vote by mail (unless you get married and buy a house off base, your residency remains in the state you enlisted in).

Officers and Senior Enlisted are absolutely allowed to vote, but the grunt level troops who walked in off the street are completely obstructed from voting (source: personal experience).

[u/SnowedOutMT → u/Xijit]

I will eat my hat if any of these people are held accountable in any meaningful way.

[u/9ersaur → u/SnowedOutMT]

MSM has royally fucked the biggest news story this cycle.

CNN should have a trump cabinet wealth tracker up at all times.

They are looters. Period. Everything is else is a distraction.

[u/mooglewing → u/9ersaur]

The problem is, all the major media outlets are ultimately owned by the ultra-wealthy, who have a vested interest in maintaining the preferred status of the ultra-wealthy.

[u/okfornogoodreason → u/9ersaur]

The cabinet wealth tracker would be awesome. Also would like to see former administrations' cabinets contrasted.

[u/tigm2161130 → u/SnowedOutMT]

I think the same every time I see a comment like that, there will never be any repercussions for any of this.

[u/AtomicPotentate → u/Xijit]

I wish so hard for somebody, anybody to be punished for this. But they won’t. I know that, you know that, and worse, they know that. They may get hassled in public, booed or heckled wherever they go, but if you think any of them will spend time in a cell, thinking about what they did, you will be very disappointed.

[u/prettyokcake → u/Xijit]

things are only illegal when there’s a body to enforce it

[u/iHoor-2000 → u/BradPitt182]

Just like when I went to get a county job.

“You are republican yes?”

“Absolutely! I happen to have my voter registration to prove it right here!”

Got hired, switched back to Dem. What a load of shit, and that was back in the 90’s.

Got past the probationary period, shared pay check details and got a union started while I was on FMLA for family to button that up nice and tight.

Turns out people get really pissed when pay isn’t equal cause you wheeled and dealed for more time off and higher starting pay than lower management.

It was a glorious time being young with a great job market so it was easy to start over somewhere else. I feel for today’s youth and the insane housing market.

Wait till insurance can start the pre-existing condition garbage again.

[u/mishma2005 → u/BradPitt182]

Eh, churches have been doing it for years, what's one more taxpayer funded "instruction"?

[u/richalta → u/mishma2005]

And corporations. When I worked at Charles Schwab, they would send out preferred candidates and encourage us to vote accordingly.

[u/dubtee1480 → u/richalta]

Some guy I worked for (small business) sent out a message that he would consider a vote for a Obama as a vote against his and the company’s best interests and act accordingly if he found we supported him.

[u/graesen → u/dubtee1480]

Sounds like voter intimidation. I'd have reported that illegal act.

[u/ProsciuttoPizza → u/dubtee1480]

Ummm pretty sure that’s illegal.

[u/imaximus101 → u/dubtee1480]

What's his name?

[u/CuriosityExplorer54 → u/mishma2005]

Lockheed Martin did also, been retired for a long time so don’t know if they still do.

[u/OhDannyBoyyyyy → u/CuriosityExplorer54]

My parents both worked there, can confirm they experienced something similar. Both were lifelong democrats and expressed multiple times how they felt surrounded and pressured by the conservative culture of the company to vote a certain way (they never did, always voted blue).

My mom even co sponsored a women’s group there and was met with some hostility from at least one of her very conservative coworkers, a man both of my parents knew

[u/CuriosityExplorer54 → u/OhDannyBoyyyyy]

Yes, and they had TV’s in break areas playing FOX News.

[u/Murky-Relation481 → u/CuriosityExplorer54]

I worked at a sub contractor for a lot of defense companies and would always change that shit when I was on facility at places like that.

[u/thelittlepeanut84 → u/mishma2005]

My local mega church has voting parties and conveniently there is a ballot drop off in front on the church.

[u/WideHuckleberry1 → u/BradPitt182]

Well, he didn't do that. The headline is a stretch. He said the number of unregistered voters is greater than the number of people on "Detroit, Boston, Milwaukee, or Seattle." The article says that these are 4 liberal cities but all big cities of around 300,000 or more people are liberal. I don't know what city he could list that would not be.  And then later he explicitly say "You’re not telling them who to vote for, you’re just telling them to vote." 

The absolute most generous way I can agree with the author is that, from a certain light, he implied to conservative soldiers that they needed to vote. It's really frustrating when people lie about shitty people like the author did. OJ got off because "they tried to frame a guilty man." We should not bring that same attitude towards these demons, but people do and I've no doubt it helped Trump at the margins in 2024.

[u/Zeddo52SD → u/BradPitt182]

He technically didn’t, but the fact they’re trying to mobilize them as voters at all is a portent of the shellacking they know they’re going to receive.

[u/turb0_encapsulator]

the "warrior" thing is so cringe-inducing.

[u/FizzyBeverage → u/turb0_encapsulator]

He's got 7 kids and the girls aren't his. I'm waiting for the inevitable Josh Duggar moment and I'm sure Pete will be involved.

[u/pjb1999 → u/turb0_encapsulator]

Literally everything about Hegseth is cringe inducing.

[u/DefiThrowaway]

What hasn't been really covered about this asshole this week is that he has an investment account that was in the $15k-$25k range on his disclosure form when he was awaiting confirmation that is now over $3M in his newest filing.

His salary is $253,100 this year, $250,600 last year.

EDIT: scratch a few of those numbers. His account was in the $15,001-$50,000 range at confirmation and is now listed at >$1,000,000.

[u/TellTaleTimeLord → u/DefiThrowaway]

Those damn democrats and their insider trading /s

[u/davasaur → u/TellTaleTimeLord]

teh Biden Crime Family up to there old tricks again!

[u/Allaplgy → u/DefiThrowaway]

Kudos to the correction. Can't give these people any wiggle room of "Fake news! It's only $1 million, and it's because he's smart!"

[u/RadicalOrganizer]

Haha wtf. Fuck Republicans. Theyre so corrupt

[u/therossboss → u/RadicalOrganizer]

Yes, they hate American democracy.

[u/NubileReptile]

It takes a specific kind of self-loathing to serve in the military and vote for the draft dodger who considers you a sucker and loser and wants you to risk your life so he doesn't have to release more of the files documenting his pedophilia.

[u/No-Cranberry6148 → u/NubileReptile]

The persistence of the conservative identity is something you have to understand about American politics. Democratic voters are not cultish in the way Republican voters are. Conservatism is drilled in the tribe's children from birth. Basically, the conservative echo chamber, well financed by the cabal of rich guys, have created generations of suckers that will always vote against their interests.

[u/Oregon-Pilot → u/No-Cranberry6148]

Conservative voters today make up the dumbest portion of the US population, by far, and that is nearly scientific fact.

[u/APraxisPanda]

I hate the story but I love how the GOP is wigging out. They can already hear their jail cells clanking shut on their corrupt asses. They really thought the fun would never end! Dumb asses!

[u/J-Mac_Slipperytoes → u/APraxisPanda]

I wouldn't count on that. If we had a working justice system, Trump would've been behind bars before his second term.

[u/cloveuga → u/J-Mac_Slipperytoes]

We've never had a justice system, only a legal system

[u/DavidCFalcon → u/cloveuga]

It’s not a legal system is a subscription service.

[u/manachar → u/J-Mac_Slipperytoes]

He would have been impeached for the emoluments clause on day one of his first term.

The broken part of the system is Congress being held by conservatives who treat laws and the constitution to mean whatever they need it to mean to help conservatives gain and retain power.

The Supreme Court looks like it does because voters decided that Lil' Bush was more relatable than an accomplished person like Al Gore. Even most Reagan appointed judges weren't as bad.

Of course, at root of that whole thing is that conservatives have spent decades controlling the narrative, creating a right wing media empire to control media and by extension the general thinking of most voters.

Even voters who don't like Republicans are generally focused on topics that conservative media wants to focus on.

Biden was pushed out because conservatives saw a weakness and got Democrats to talk about his age and mental fitness.

[u/APraxisPanda → u/J-Mac_Slipperytoes]

I know lol, please let me dream though! I'm trying to manifest some shit by hoping hard enough!

[u/reekris9000]

Will be hilarious when 300,000 warriors register and vote blue to get this moron outta there.

[u/crazyfoxdemon → u/reekris9000]

They can't do thar if they're stationed overseas or out of their home state if Trump kills mail in voting.

[u/GreyBeardEng]

This is a crime.

DoD Directive 1344.10 and 18 U.S.C. § 592

[u/LeSuperNut → u/GreyBeardEng]

The “veiled order” was pointing out there were more members of the military not registered to vote in 2024 (300,000) than in some named cities that were all blue voting. Then says some stuff about protecting your freedom, commanders not telling them who to vote for but to get them out to vote.

Scummy, sure, but I doubt illegal nor worth the outrage any headline readers in this thread are having.

The interesting thing is that I would imagine any internal polling of the military would probably show him and the Republican Party mostly unpopular based on recent events. I would imagine the people most likely registered to vote and want change would be those who disagree with the way things are…

[u/Charming-Medium4248]

> The Defense secretary pointed out that the number of service members unregistered to vote would outnumber the populations of multiple blue cities.

Versus what? Large Republican cities? There aren't any.

[u/sample_in_a_jar]

This motherfucker is a traitor. Hands down. Period.

[u/Expert_Sentence_6574 → u/sample_in_a_jar]

And guilty of war crimes.

The indiscriminate bombing of the boats and then bombing a school… the list goes on and on but it’s late here and I need to go to bed and am too tired to type them all out.

[u/thecamino]

If they’re active duty and deployed they have to vote by mail. Postmaster DeJoy will lose those ballots with the rest.

[u/Ace_Bearbus-73]

if you vote Republican, you get a free, expense-paid trip on the USS Lincoln!

[u/Phalus_Falator]

As someone who is currently serving and has been fkr the last 14 years... they are grossly out of touch if they think the majority of military voters support... whatever the hell is going on. It's become somewhat of a joke amongst 100% of my peers.

[u/Adept-Opinion8080]

If my sources are any indication this may backfire stupendously on them. I don't know too many, but all of the active service members I know are decidedly switching to a Dem vote this year, almost all all because of hegseth. He is viewed as a complete clown by the rank and file that I know.

[u/DayGeckoArt → u/Adept-Opinion8080]

I hope that’s representative. I don’t know anyone in the military now but every veteran I know loves him

[u/Cloaked42m → u/DayGeckoArt]

The veterans i know are a mixed bag. If they were a type to be MAGA to start with, they still are.

But there were a lot of veterans at the No Kings events.

[u/That_Trapper_guy → u/Adept-Opinion8080]

He's viewed as a complete clown by most regular citizens too.

[u/Nicaspin]

It’s surprising that the U.S. has no guardrails in place to stop these individuals. The Trump administration seems to be able to do whatever they want.

[u/blooger-00- → u/Nicaspin]

We were supposed to… the whole three branches thing. It might change with the midterms 🤞🏻

[u/Itsthebigpeepa → u/blooger-00-]

The thing is our entire system was built on handshake rules of etiquette and decorum without any real hard and fast guardrails. It worked for a time but once called out it fell like a house of cards.

[u/Icy_Information_6563 → u/Nicaspin]

The guardrail is ultimately democracy. If the midterms dont swing the other way than either they figured out how to rig it, or for some reason people just dont give a shit

[u/Salt_Day4586]

Just imagine denying benefits to troops because “we’re not technically at war” and then asking them to vote for your party with your tail between your legs. HAHAHAHA good fucking luck, buddy.

[u/anonskeptic5]

Idiot thinks they will vote Republican.

[u/eaglemtnr → u/anonskeptic5]

This. They assume that the military is a monoculture that will all vote together. Every unit I served in was a grab bag for voting, with more of the force shifting toward the Democratic side as we dealt with year after year of quagmire from Bush's boondoggle wars.

[u/Mediocre_Scott → u/anonskeptic5]

Vote for Republicans and you too can end up like the poor souls on the USS Abraham Lincoln or worse.

[u/214ObstructedReverie]

As you know, the war department exists

Lies.

[u/janitroll]

Every single veteran I know wants to see this motherfucker in handcuffs.

Murderous, treasonous, white power loving, bible beating,alcoholic media personality hired by the most corrupt government this country has ever known.

Resign fuckstick before you’re made to resign. Hope you end up in fuckin Leavenworth!

[u/ContextLengthMatters → u/janitroll]

We know wildly different veterans. My dad was a marine and he'd probably suck this dude off if he has the opportunity.

[u/WastingTimeIGuess]

He’s telling them to vote absentee ballot. AKA to vote by mail - the thing they’re trying to get the courts and officials to restrict/end!

[u/thinkards]

i often wonder what they want to do with voter roll information, and especially how people voted, when they get it.

maybe they want to use it to identify who in the military is loyal and purge the rest?

[u/FizzyBeverage]

This chud has to start thinking longterm.

Even with a presidential pardon, he's only 46... he's got decades of blue governors shoving indictments on state charges up his bum, in a Trumpless world... with a JD Vance and Marco who won't take his phonecalls. But maybe he likes the feeling?

[u/crazyreddit929]

Drunk bitch is just scared his ass is getting impeached after democrats take over congress.

[u/JoeBiden-2016]

I'm so tired of this stupid "warrior" crap. At any given time, ca. no more than 20% of the US military is in a combat-type role. Most are in various support roles. A lot of those are riding desks. Sgt. Gerry Gergich in the quartermaster's office in Muncie is not a "warrior."

The rise in the usage of that word, coupled with the use of the equally stupid "warfighting," is just another mark of the stupidification of the US military.

[u/Braklinath]

Every amount of corruption possible.

Any Democrat that thinks these people are capable to be reached "across the aisle" are at best enablers, but much more likely collaboraters and traitors to their publicly stated cause.

[u/LazyyCanuck]

They should just do the opposite

[u/dnen]

Uhm? The secretary of defense making a political appeal to service members?

[u/New_Strike_4715 → u/dnen]

Am active duty, most of my peers think he's a clown. Granted it's a limited sample, but at least it's something.

[u/thinpile]

I’m the sure the 8 that attempted suicide on that damn carrier will be first in line.

[u/DiabolicalDoug]

Bold of him to think the service members he's been betraying will vote to keep his party in charge.

[u/Mattyj273]

These people are the opposite of what America represents

[u/HardSteelRain]

The cloud of desperation and fear thickens

[u/Rynowash]

I think at this point, anybody with a working brain can call it what it is. This a desperate ploy to establish something so sinister that it cannot be stopped and we’re standing at the front door of it.

[u/Frosty-Image7705]

Can someone explain to me how they can control how people
vote? Do they have someone monitoring every ballot being submitted?

[u/kennedyswise]

Illegal as hell.

[u/Born_Alternative_608]

Just like the founders intended

[u/DogpatchDegen]

Vote R so we can send you grunts to Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, Greenland, Canada or god knows where to die for the Epstein class. What a sell!!

[u/ImmaNotHere]

'Vote for Republicans like me to treat you suckers and losers like the disposable commodities that you are.' - Patron Pete /s

[u/ChefCurryYumYum]

I don't know about the average soldier but if a piece of shit like this told me to vote one way I would be very motivated to vote the other way just to spite the fucker. Now, if I felt strongly one way or the other then I'm not changing my vote for spite, but sometimes the tighter you squeeze your pickles the more of them slip out of your grasp.

[u/monorail_pilot]

Suddenly mail in ballots are fine.

[u/we_are_sex_bobomb]

Every time he says the word “warrior” it sounds less cool than the last time he said it.

[u/mtnclimbingotter02]

“All of these processes are straightforward and protected by law.”

Ah law eh? Pesky thing that Republicans and this administration hates when it doesn’t serve their interests.

Fuck these bastards. I look forward to the day Pete’s smug face is ripped off DOD walls.

[u/flaming_bob]

"we're going to make absentee voting impossible, but we still want you to vote"

The stupid, it burns.

[u/soxperry]

Hegseth is encouraging mail in voting, which his own party says has been unequivocally proven to be fraudulent.

[u/mcspluggy]

Right because I’m sure they would love another lecture on the warrior mentality from Jake and Logan Paul

[u/BarkerBarkhan]

... it is wild to me that people would willingly sign up to fight and die for a democracy that they refuse to participate in.

[u/_Zyr]

Add it to the list, and keep it handy when maga is out of power. 

[u/Maxfunky]

I don't care what demographic it is. In this election, more turnout is worse for Trump. Even the deep red parts of the country are only just mildly pink at the moment.

[u/stlshane]

I'm pretty sure anyone willing to take advice from this guy was already planning to vote against their own best interests.

[u/viper233]

Add violating the hatch act to the list

[u/LeStrikeRevolution]

A BLATANT violation of The Hatch Act. Highball Hegseth and the dumb fucks are running scared that they'll get wiped out. So, Drunk Peter now is mandating the Armed Forces to vote Republican to keep the pedophile in power.

[u/Boney-Rigatoni]

Can we just impeach this mthrfckr and eventually put him in jail, where he belongs?

[u/Practical_Tomato_680]

Isnt that illegal..?

[u/sun334 → u/Practical_Tomato_680]

​Department of Defense Directives (DoD Directive 1344.10) ​Active-Duty Service Members: Uniformed military personnel are legally prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity while in uniform, while acting in an official capacity, or using government property. They cannot solicit votes, campaign for specific political candidates, or use their military status to endorse a party. ​Civilian DoD Officials: Civilian leadership (such as the Secretary of Defense) operates under stricter rules regarding the distinction between official duties and personal activity. ​The Hatch Act (5 U.S.C. §§ 7321–7326) ​The Hatch Act restricts executive branch employees from using their official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election. ​High-ranking officials appointed by the President are generally permitted to express personal political opinions or attend political events off-duty, but they are strictly barred from using official government resources, titles, or command authority to pressure subordinate employees or service members to vote a certain way. ​Federal Criminal Law (18 U.S.C. § 593 and § 609) ​Federal law makes it a crime for any officer of the Armed Forces to attempt to prescribe or interfere with the qualifications of voters, or to order or advise troops on how to vote in elections. ​ ​ If a military commander or superior gives a direct order, veiled command, or uses official channels (such as official memos or mandatory briefings) to direct subordinates to support a specific political candidate or party, it constitutes an illegal act under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and federal law.

[u/Virtual_Isopod_7326]

Fuck you from canada 🇨🇦

[u/Hopeful-Flounder-203]

I'm glad he did. Most will do opposite of what he wants. They fucking hate him.

[u/SkillFullyNotTrue]

Hmm really hard choice, vote for pedos and get sent to war or vote against them have them sent to jail and you keep your job and not sent to war. Hmm tough choice.

[u/B-Tort]

I’m voting jail for you Kegsbreath.

[u/LayedBackGuy]

Kegsbreath is so despised by most of the military, this is likely to have the opposite effect.

[u/etniesen]

So the people letting the military out at sea where people are starving and killing themselves are now asking for their votes. Hahaha. Well. There could not be a more leopards ate my face moment than if these people get voted in again

[u/Current-Anybody9331]

He's already said he's going to check their erections, I don't see how piggybacking into the voting booth is any more intrusive?

[u/Banmods]

Ironic how he talks about vote by mail ballots and getting out to vote, meanwhile his boss and the Dejoy post office slowdown is the reason why my right to participate in the 2020 election was violated. Had to go TDY to a different state for training during the window my CA was being mailed to me. Had my county election office resend it to my new location and confirm it'd been mailed. Never got to me....