Pete Hegseth’s Worrisome Press Briefing

Jonathan Chait: “Hegseth’s presentation gave no remotely skeptical viewer any new reasons to trust that the administration expected the war to go as it has nor that there is a realistic plan to end it. Instead, his briefing suggests he believes that the administration’s only challenge in the Middle East is to prevent news organizations from reporting on anything but Iran’s desperation.”

“Hegseth is fond of the trick of using a dismissive tone while actually conceding skeptics’ main point.”