John Jefferson
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth released a video Thursday detailing oncoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts and restructuring that will take place within the Pentagon.
On the date of filming, Hegseth said he met with DOGE and they are beginning their review.
“They’re here, and we’re welcoming them,” Hegseth said. “They’re going to have broad access, obviously, with all the safeguards on classification.”
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He added that many DOGE workers are veterans, and it is a “good thing” that they will find deficiencies.
“They care just like we do, to find the redundancies and identify the last vestiges of Biden priorities — the DEI, the woke, the climate change B.S., that’s not core to our mission, and we’re going to get rid of it all,” Hegseth said.
DOGE’s stop at the Department of Defense comes after reviews of the Treasury, Labor, Education and Health departments, as well as at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Personnel Management and Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The temporary organization has faced an enormous amount of scrutiny over the last few weeks, with some accusing President Donald Trump of giving department head Elon Musk too much power.
Numerous lawsuits have also been filed in an attempt to block DOGE’s access to sensitive information.
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The Defense Department has already slashed 8%, or $50 billion, from former President Joe Biden’s budget.
“It’s not a cut,” Hegseth said. “It’s refocusing and reinvesting existing funds into building a force that protects you, the American people.”
The budget will be “refocused” on Trump’s priorities, and key programs will not be eliminated, he added.
The department is also reevaluating its probationary workforce, a government-wide action ordered by the president.
“Bottom line, it is simply not in the public interest to retain individuals whose contributions are not mission-critical,” Hegseth said. “We start with poor performers amongst our probationary employees, because that is common sense, and you want the best and brightest.”
DOGE fired 3,600 probationary Health and Human Services employees, and 7,000 are expected to be slashed from the IRS amid tax season.
It is unclear how many defense employees will lose their jobs.
There will also be a hiring freeze as the defense department reviews its needs.
“Ever since I’ve taken this position, the only thing I care about is doing right by the war fighters, by the troops,” Hegseth said. “In short, we want the biggest, most bad a– military on the planet, on God’s green Earth.”
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