Trump Lauds Hegseth for Pushing Pardons for Soldiers Who "Killed a Lot of People"

President Donald Trump openly celebrated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, recalling how he pressed for pardons for U.S. soldiers who “killed a lot of people.”

At the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, Trump labeled Hegseth “amazing,” commending his performance at the Pentagon while reminiscing about Hegseth's previous role as a Fox News presenter.

“You know, he used to do interviews and all he wanted to talk about is war,” Trump stated.

Trump recounted a past exchange: “‘Sir, will you give a pardon to 19 soldiers?’” He continued, “‘Why?’ ‘Well, they killed a lot of people. They were trained to kill and that’s what they did.’”

“And I pardoned a lot of people and they’ve all been well behaved, right? OK good, otherwise it would be a big story! ‘Trump shouldn’t have let them go.’ But I’m blaming you Pete, OK?”

Laughter erupted in the audience as Trump praised Hegseth further: “He was very successful on television, actually.”

“I think he probably hated it because he can’t love anything more than what he’s doing right now and he’s doing it incredibly well so great job Pete. Appreciate it.”

In an unusual comment, Trump also expressed admiration for the “beautiful smile” of Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.

Trump's remarks hinted at past events from his first term when Hegseth, still at Fox, advocated for pardoning three soldiers: Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, Major Mathew Golsteyn, and Army 1st Lieutenant Clint Lorance.

Gallagher faced charges in September 2018 under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for allegedly fatally stabbing a 17-year-old ISIS prisoner and sharing a photo of the corpse with friends.

He was acquitted of murder after another individual took responsibility but was convicted for “wrongfully posing for an unofficial picture with a human casualty.”

On November 4, 2019, Trump reversed Gallagher’s demotion and allowed him to keep his Trident Pin, defying military norms.

Golsteyn and Lorance were charged with murdering Afghan civilians during separate incidents in the “War on Terror” and both received pardons from Trump on November 15, 2019.

Since assuming control of the Department of Defense, Hegseth has aimed to eliminate “woke” ideology and DEI from the military, pushing for a “warfighting” mentality while criticizing troops for being unfit and lacking proper grooming standards.

He gained international attention during the Iran war with combative daily press briefings on Operation Epic Fury, often challenging journalists for what he deemed hostile or “unpatriotic” questions.