Pete Hegseth Laughs in Reporter’s Face Before Destroying Her Gender Question [WATCH]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded firmly to a question about gender acknowledgments during a press conference on Thursday, after a reporter accused him of only recognizing male pilots involved in the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The exchange took place following the June 22 announcement of the success of Operation Midnight Hammer, the coordinated military operation that targeted key Iranian nuclear sites.

During his remarks on the operation, Hegseth had referred to “our boys in those bombers,” prompting criticism from some in the press.

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“Why not acknowledge the female pilots at all who also participated in this mission?” a reporter asked.

“The early messages that you sent out only congratulated the boys.”

Hegseth responded by laughing briefly before offering a pointed rebuttal.

“So when I say something like ‘our boys in bombers.’ See this is the kind of thing the press does, right? Of course, the chairman mentioned a female bomber pilot,” Hegseth said.

“That’s fantastic, she’s fantastic. She’s a hero. I want more female bomber pilots. I hope the men and women of our country sign up to do such brave and audacious things. But when you spin it because I say ‘our boys in bombers’ as a common phrase, I’ll keep saying things like that.”

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“Men or women, I’m very proud of that female pilot, just like I’m very proud of those male pilots,” he continued.

“And I don’t care if it’s a male or a female in that cockpit and the American people don’t care. But it’s the obsession with race and gender in this department that’s changed priorities. We don’t do that anymore, we don’t play your little games.”

The Department of Defense (DOD) confirmed that at least one female B-2 bomber pilot participated in the mission, according to Military.com.

In addition, a female crew member served on one of the guided missile submarines that launched more than two dozen missiles as part of the broader strike operation.

Hegseth has faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers since his confirmation as Defense Secretary, particularly over his views on combat roles for women.

During his confirmation hearings, he said that standards had been adjusted in order to accommodate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) targets within the military and expressed concern that combat effectiveness had been compromised as a result.

In response to those concerns, Hegseth has taken several steps to roll back DEI-related policies in the military.

He has directed service academies to stop considering race, gender, or ethnicity in admissions decisions. He also ordered the removal of DOD media and publications that promoted DEI initiatives.

Additionally, Hegseth authorized the renaming of a Navy oiler ship that had been named after Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist.

The decision followed longstanding controversy surrounding Milk’s past, including allegations of a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy.

Hegseth also used the press conference to address media reports about the effectiveness of the Iran strikes.

He criticized CNN for publishing a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment that claimed the attacks only set back Iran’s nuclear program by a few months.

“That’s what the media does now,” Hegseth said during the NATO summit.

“They spin classified information and then pretend like it undermines a successful mission just to hurt this administration.”

The Trump administration has disputed the leaked DIA assessment, maintaining that Operation Midnight Hammer inflicted significant damage on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

The operation included long-range bomber aircraft, submarine-launched missiles, and cyber components aimed at disrupting command and control systems linked to Iran’s enrichment efforts.

The Pentagon has not released detailed metrics on the extent of the damage, citing operational security, but officials continue to describe the strikes as effective in degrading Iran’s nuclear progress.

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