"South Korea’s pursuit of a nuclear submarine capability reflects Seoul’s jitters over China’s increasingly aggressive military footprint in the Indo-Pacific as well as alarm about a growing threat from North Korea" w/ @paulmcleary.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Trump today told several hundred generals that American cities should be “training grounds,” calling on the military leaders to “handle” the “enemy from within…before it gets out of control.” The president's comments can often be viewed as orders. www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

It’s Tuesday w/ @waytooearly.bsky.social and unless something major changes, the government will shut down at midnight. That & more, with… ☀️ @jonallendc.bsky.social ☕️ @mpolymer1.bsky.social 🌅 @paulmcleary.bsky.social Email why you’re up with us to [email protected] #waytooearly

Per the White House - legally it is still the Department of Defense. The Department of War is a "secondary title." So, it's a nickname.

Despite crime in DC being at a 30 year low, Trump orders 800 National Guard troops to the capital www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

NEW: Army says that of the 800 National Guard soldiers activated, "100-200 Soldiers will be supporting law enforcement at any given time. Their duties will include an array of tasks from administrative, logistics and physical presence in support of law enforcement."

Confirmed that USS Nimitz left the South China Sea and is heading for the Middle East - making TWO U.S. carrier strike groups there once it joins the USS Vinson. Also, a wave of US refueling aircraft just left for Europe. Lots of hardware moving. www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

The US is "using its air defenses in the region" to assist Israel in engaging Iranian missiles targeting Israel, per US defense official. www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

A must-read deep dive into the chaos inside the highest offices inside the Pentagon: www.politico.com/news/2025/04...

The Pentagon is in "total chaos" and Pete Hegseth is unlikely to remain in his role, according to its former top spokesperson, who painted a scene of dysfunction, backstabbing and missteps at the highest levels of the department. "The building is in disarray." www.politico.com/news/2025/04...

BREAKING: The DC Circuit has *rejected* DOJ's effort to lift Judge Boasberg's block on Alien Enemies Act deportations. Ruling is 2-1, with Judge Walker dissenting. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is spiraling through yet another overseas trip eclipsed by a controversy largely of his own doing. www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

“The information that you have fighter aircraft launching off of an aircraft carrier, flying over enemy territory and impending combat operation is the most sensitive information we have” said Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot. www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

Elon Musk Musk was briefed on China by Indo-Pacom chief Adm. Samuel Paparo and SecDef Pete Hegseth this morning, showing "the extraordinary level of access Musk, a defense contractor with billions of dollars in government contracts, holds over the administration." www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

SCOOP: The Trump team is taking a hatchet to the State Department's annual — and world-renowned — human rights report. www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

The @DeptofDefense appears to have shuttered its @DoDMinerva research program, which funded studies designed to help policymakers in the military. The Web site is down, and several academics tell me they received project termination letters. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

The first big challenge for Donald Trump’s top military adviser pick isn’t the Ukraine-Russia war or even his lack of qualifications. It’s the legend about a red MAGA hat. www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Trump and his defense secretary today said they're looking to relieve any military officer or civilian involved in the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Last year, now-SecDef Hegseth wrote “should we follow the Geneva conventions ... Aren’t we just better off in winning our wars according to our own rules?” And now he fired the Pentagons top military legal advisors www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Pete Hegseth’s firing of top Pentagon legal staff has alarmed military lawyers: “It will keep the lawyer out of the rooms where the decisions are made.” www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Don't let this slip by: Trump is also firing the senior judicial officers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. They're the services' top lawyers.

WIPED OUT: Trump gutted the Joint Chiefs Friday night, firing Chairman Gen. CQ Brown - while he was visiting troops in Texas - and SecDef Hegseth said he will also replace Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti and UASF vice chief Gen. James Slife.

NEW: Pentagon says it is firing 5,400 civilians next week as part of an effort to cull up to 8% of the civilian workforce, while implementing a hiring freeze. 46% of DoD civilians are veterans. @politico.com www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

BREAKING: The Pentagon is planning to fire 5,400 civilian employees starting next week as it prepares to eliminate 8 percent of its civilian workforce, the department announced Friday www.politico.com/news/2025/02... @paulmcleary.bsky.social

NEW: Half of all U.S. military flights transporting detained migrants out of the country have gone to Guantanamo Bay over the past month, officials told me. In total, 14 of 28 total flights have brought about 100 detainees to the base. @politico

NEW: Army Green Berets have been sent to Mexico to train Mexican Marines, a move which somes as US designated Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations which Musk says, “means they’re eligible for drone strikes.” www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Trump uncorked a new social media attack on Ukraine's leader today that was full of invented numbers and distortions of the truth. www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Funny story - the US team went on to win 3-1

“Half of Europe is asleep, paralyzed into shock and another part is taking security seriously and mobilizing like the Nordic and Baltic countries. But will that be enough?” @apolyakova.bsky.social explains to Robbie Gramer @paulmcleary.bsky.social y & @ebazail.bsky.social at #MSC2025

From the Munich Security Conference: European allies are gathered here this weekend bracing for the answer to a question they’ve been dreading to ask: Can they really count on the United States? www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

The U.S. on Thursday promised to speed up weapons shipments to Europe, a move that some countries have pressed for years as critical for their defense needs www.politico.eu/article/us-p... @paulmcleary.bsky.social @laukaya.bsky.social

NEW: State Dept. announces $7.3B in potential arms sales to Israel, including: 2,100 Small Diameter Bombs 2,800 500-pound bomb bodies 13,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition Guidance Kits 3,000 Hellfire Air-to-Ground Missiles and other bomb kits and bomb bodies

U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rosa DeLauro sent a letter to SecDef Hegseth today asking why he requested "$137,000 in taxpayer-funded upgrades and other associated costs" to the gov house he and his family will live in. Includes a $50K paint job. wassermanschultz.house.gov/uploadedfile...

Sanctions on Putin are "only about a 3" out of 10 on how painful theycan be, Trump's Ukraine/Russia czar Keith Kellogg says. “You could really increase the sanctions" on oil production and exports. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

NEW: The UK will lead the Ukraine Defense Contact group next week, the first time it hasn't been chaired by the US defense secretary in a big, and possibly permanent shift. www.politico.eu/article/uk-t...

NEW: Northern Command says 500 soldiers from 10th Mountain Div are heading to the southern border, along w/ 140 "intelligence personnel" to "provide full motion video analysis, counter network analysis, and Spanish language translation to the Border Patrol."

NEW TONIGHT: The Pentagon expects to send two flights of migrants to Guantanamo Bay this weekend, the first step in Trump’s plan to use the military base as a detainment facility www.politico.com/news/2025/01... @paulmcleary.bsky.social

The Army UH-60 helo that hit a commercial plane in DC is from Bravo Co., 12th Aviation Battalion, performing a "training flight" - Heather Chairez, Media Chief, Joint Task Force, National Capitol Region

NEW: Defense official confirms 3 soldiers on board the Army Black Hawk helicopter that crashed w/ commercial airliner tonight. No high-level officials aboard.

First picture I've seen of migrants on a US military aircraft being deported. DOD caption reads: "Illegal aliens await takeoff for a removal flight at the Tucson International Airport, Ariz., Jan. 23, 2025."

This morning, SecDef Pete Hegseth said a priority is acquiring "Iron Dome for America" - assuming this is a catchall for air and missile defense, since the Iron Dom is for short-range missiles so not clear what it would do.

This line stuck out in @SenMcConnell's statement on Hegseth tonight: There "must be a firewall between servicemembers and politics. The Biden Administration failed at this...But the restoration of ‘warrior culture’ will not come from trading one set of culture warriors for another."

Trump insists that U.S. control of Greenland is necessary for American security, but between existing bases, new investments by Denmark and a permissive treaty, he already has much of what he wants www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Trump orders 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border and sets up massive military airlift to fly 5,000 migrants out of the country, for starters. www.politico.com/news/2025/01...

NEW: The Pentagon's first act after Trump was sworn in today was to remove the official portrait of former Joint Chiefs chairman retired Gen. Mark Milley www.politico.com/live-updates...

NEW: Robert Salesses will serve as acting Defense Secretary until Pete Hegseth is confirmed by the Senate -he's serving as the deputy head of the Washington Headquarters Service, the agency’s administrative branch www.politico.com/live-updates...

Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen and Kirsten Gillibrand sharply criticized SecDef nominee Pete Hegseth for his views on women in the military during his Tuesday confirmation hearing, bringing up his past public comments on women being unsuited for combat. www.politico.com/live-updates...

"We know who the aggressor is, we know who the good guy is" in the war un Ukraine, Pete Hegseth tells the Senate Armed Services Committee. Leaves it at that.

NEW: The Pentagon has asked a federal appeals court to block a military judge’s plan to accept plea deals w/ a 9/11 mastermind and 2 others. DOD asked judges to reinstate SecDef Austin's decision to revoke the plea agreements. www.politico.com/news/2025/01...

Trump looks to shatter icebreaker pact with Canada and Finland subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025... @reporterjoe.bsky.social @paulmcleary.bsky.social