Pete Hegseth wants ‘maximum lethality.’ But he just ensured a sicker, weaker military.
Hegseth announced his decision to rescind the almost-80-year-old military mandatory flu vaccine program in order “to restore freedom and strength to our joint force.” But how is being sick with the flu “strength?”
From separating hundreds of highly trained transgender Americans from military service under the 2025 transgender ban to curtailing reproductive freedom for female troops to restricting shaving waivers despite medical and religious accommodations, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth certainly seems to prioritize politics in the form of the MAGA narrative over actual data-driven military readiness.
And Hegseth’s much-touted goal of “maximum lethality” may soon take a major hit thanks to his newly announced decision to rescind the almost-80-year-old military mandatory flu vaccine program in order “to restore freedom and strength to our joint force.”
Hegseth’s idea of “freedom” is quite selective, given that it extends only to the MAGA anti-vaccine crowd and not to transgender service members’ freedom to serve their country.
Let that sink in for a moment: How is being sick with the flu “strength?” And funny, Hegseth’s idea of “freedom” is quite selective, given that it extends only to the MAGA anti-vaccine crowd and not to transgender service members’ freedom to serve their country, troops’ freedom to access reproductive care or service members’ freedom to wear beards due to skin conditions (largely affecting African American service members) or in compliance with religious convictions.
In his Tuesday video announcing the termination of the long-standing military flu vaccine program, Hegseth said the military, under the Biden administration, was “waging an unrelenting war” on service members, “including when it came to denying them simple medical autonomy and the freedom to express their religious convictions.”
First of all, the flu vaccine military mandate dates back to the 1940s, not from former President Joe Biden (that was the Covid-19 vaccine). And how can Hegseth tout “medical autonomy” while making it increasingly difficult for service members to access abortions? His version of autonomy and freedom are only for a select few, similar to service members’ freedom of speech: gifts only bestowed upon those who support the MAGA narrative.
One wonders if Hegseth knows the flu vaccine was developed in the 1940s with assistance from the U.S. Army, whose brass had supported vaccine efforts since World War I, during which the Spanish flu killed almost as many troops as died in combat (45,000 versus 53,402) and sickened over a million more. Hence the U.S. Army had first dibs on the new flu vaccine, mandating it for everyone in 1945 at the tail end of World War II amid fears of the development of biological weapons. The Pentagon temporarily suspended the mandate briefly following the end of the war, only to resume it again in the 1950s as the vaccine became more effective — a mandatory program that continued until this week, given its long-understood contributions to military readiness.
Trump, Hegseth ‘misleading’ Americans into believing war is being fought on our terms: Fmr. Amb. April 20, 2026 / 11:27
Yet Hegseth, describing the end of mandatory military flu vaccination, said, “We’re seizing this moment to discard any absurd, overreaching mandates that only weaken our war-fighting capabilities.” Hegseth failed to explain just how having a greater number of sick service members, who will be sicker for longer than if they had been vaccinated, will do anything but weaken the service.
The U.S. military has had to balance military readiness against service member autonomy in the health arena since the nation’s inception. As small pox ravaged his Continental Army, George Washington mandated a crude inoculation method, hoping to save his troops from the British, whom were suspected of weaponizing the virus. His decision is credited with helping the new United States win its independence.
Ja’han Jones
The breakthrough flu vaccine in the 1940s was followed by a raft of other mandatory vaccines developed from research the U.S. military strongly supported throughout the 20th century, out of straightforward recognition that force readiness of troops in close quarters demands such measures to keep them ready for combat.
Vaccines have not been without controversy. Over 500 troops were court-martialed or discharged following refusal of the anthrax vaccine in the late 1990s, a vaccine the Pentagon had to make voluntary during years of federal litigation challenging its FDA status. Federal law rightly prohibits the use of experimental and “investigational” vaccines without service member informed consent, though the president can waive consent for reasons of national security — the anthrax vaccination, once the vaccine was no longer deemed investigational, eventually resumed in targeted measure for particular service members based on exposure risk and job.
Last year, Hegseth called those service members who refused orders to be vaccinated “warriors of conscience.”
At the beginning of his video, Hegseth referenced the Biden administration’s “war on warriors” in an apparent attempt to conjure the polarizing emotions surrounding the Biden administration’s mandatory Covid vaccine (again, despite the military flu vaccine mandate dating back to 1945). The Covid vaccine, whose development was spearheaded by the first Trump administration, became part of the culture war, with some service members saying it violated their religious convictions, and the Pentagon rejecting most religious accommodation requests based on its compelling interest in force readiness. The issue of whether the U.S. Navy could consider vaccine refusals in its assignment decisions regarding Navy SEALS reached the Supreme Court, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh explaining the court’s decision siding with the government: “The Navy has an extraordinarily compelling interest in maintaining strategic and operational control over the assignment and deployment of all Special Warfare personnel — including control over decisions about military readiness.” After 15 months, Congress rescinded the mandatory military Covid program, but not until over 8,000 service members were discharged due to vaccine refusal. Last year President Donald Trump offered to reinstate any of these members with back pay; only a few returned.
Last year, Hegseth called those service members who refused orders to be vaccinated “warriors of conscience.” He’s now drawing upon that opposition to the Biden administration in his sudden termination of the flu vaccine mandate, one that has nothing to do with Biden or Democrats. Even Sen. Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Hegseth’s decision a mistake, while distinguishing the flu vaccine from the Biden-era “experimental” Covid vaccine program.
Hegseth finished his video with this affirmation: “Your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable.”
Unfortunately, given the defense secretary’s myriad personnel decisions demonstrating that all three are indeed pawns in his bigoted “war against woke,” it seems once again that politics and catering to a small MAGA base are being prioritized over service member health, force readiness and national security.
Lt. Col. Rachel E. VanLandingham (ret.)
Rachel E. VanLandingham retired as a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Air Force. She is the Irwin R. Buchalter professor of law at Southwestern Law School, Los Angeles, and president emerita of the National Institute of Military Justice.
Trump Signs Order Expediting Drugs for Mental Health Treatment
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday that he said “directs the FDA to expedite their review of certain psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs.” A primary objective of the order is to speed treatment for veterans.
“The executive order I’m signing, we’re actually signing the executive order today, is really a moment,” Trump said. “These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they’re both safe and effective for the American patients.”
The president said the executive order would implement “historic reforms to dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs.” Citing the elevated veteran suicide rate, the president added: “In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans.”
“And the nice part is we’re actually doing this early, but it has been going on. Research has been going on for quite some time. But, you know, usually with things like this, nothing ever happens, no matter how the research ends up, but we’re changing that. This order will clear away unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, improve data sharing among the FDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and facilitate fast rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that become FDA approved,” Trump continued.
The president said “in 2024, a study from Stanford University, 30 special operation veterans with traumatic brain injuries underwent — it’s called ibogaine treatment — ibogaine, remember the name,” noting that they “experienced an 80 to 90% reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.”
“In Texas, Republican leaders have already committed $50 million to the ibogaine research. And today, the federal government is making a $50 million research investment in its own. And so that was just approved just last night,” Trump announced.
“We’re also opening a pathway for ibogaine to be administered to desperately ill patients under the right to try law,” Trump said.
“Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life, just lead a happier life,” he added.
Two weeks ago, Trump signed a sweeping executive order aimed at tightening federal oversight of election integrity, directing multiple agencies to expand voter eligibility verification and impose new controls on mail-in ballots.
The order, titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” outlines a series of measures that would increase coordination between federal agencies and state election officials, while also establishing new procedures for how ballots are distributed and tracked through the mail system.
At the core of the directive is a requirement that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), working with the Social Security Administration (SSA), compile and transmit lists of individuals confirmed to be U.S. citizens to state election authorities. These “State Citizenship Lists” would be generated using federal databases, including immigration and Social Security records, and updated regularly ahead of federal elections.
According to the order, the lists are intended to help states verify voter eligibility, though inclusion on the list would not automatically register an individual to vote. State laws and procedures would still govern registration requirements.
The order also calls for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prioritize investigations and potential prosecutions related to election law violations. This includes cases involving the distribution of ballots to individuals deemed ineligible to vote, as well as any actors—public or private—who may be involved in producing or sending such ballots.
In a significant expansion of federal involvement in mail voting procedures, the directive instructs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to develop new rules governing the handling of mail-in and absentee ballots. Within 60 days, the Postmaster General is required to initiate a rulemaking process that would standardize ballot tracking and verification measures nationwide.
Under the proposed framework, all mail-in ballots would be required to use specially marked envelopes designated as official election mail. These envelopes must include unique tracking barcodes and meet specific design standards set by USPS to ensure compatibility with automated processing systems.
Trump Says He’s in No Hurry to Make Deal With Iran
The president gave an update on negotiations between Washington and Tehran in a weekend interview.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on March 26, 2026 in Washington. This is Trump's second Cabinet meeting of 2026 and the first since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on Feb. 28, 2026. Chip Somodevilla/Getty U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview published on May 30, said that he is in no hurry to make a deal with Iran to end the war, saying that neither Washington nor Tehran has signed an agreement yet.
“I’d like to say I’m in a hurry because gasoline prices are going to come tumbling down, but if you’re going to be in a hurry, you’re not going to make a good deal,” Trump told Fox News. “And slowly but surely we’re getting, I think, what we want, and if we don’t get what we want, we’re going to end it a different way.”
For weeks, the United States and Iran have been working to come to an agreement that would end the war, which started in February, as the conflict remains in a ceasefire. On May 29, Trump released the terms of a deal with Tehran and said he would be making a final decision soon.
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Along with demanding that Iran not obtain a nuclear weapon, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the Strait of Hormuz must be opened “in both directions” and that Tehran must “complete the immediate removal and/or detonation of any mines that are left.”
Since the start of the conflict, the strait has effectively remained shut down, sending oil and gas prices surging, as the strait allows for the transit of about a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas. As of May 31, gas prices in the United States averaged $4.34 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
A White House official told The Epoch Times on May 29 that a White House meeting in the Situation Room on Iran lasted approximately two hours. No details were provided.
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Iran on May 31 claimed that the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) shot down a U.S. military drone that entered its airspace, in comments carried by state-run Tasnim News. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has not publicly commented on the incident.
A top Iranian official, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also said on May 31 that Tehran’s military force is “pushing back the enemy in a great and history-making war,” referring to the United States, according to state-run media. He also claimed that the United States has retreated from the conflict while pushing a narrative of unity in the Iranian regime.
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In his May 29 post on Truth Social, Trump also wrote that mines would be removed from the strait and that ships trapped there may start to go home.
“Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!” he said.
On May 30, War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States would restart attacks against Iran if no deal can be reached and that the military’s ammunition stockpiles are being replenished.
“Our ability to recommence if necessary ... we are more than capable,” Hegseth told reporters in Singapore. “Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we’re in a very good place.”
The Pentagon head said that Trump was “patient” and that the president wants to make a “great deal” that ensures that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
Reuters contributed to this report.
