Ten days into the war that Donald Trump launched against Iran to destroy their nuclear capabilities (that he obliterated a few months ago), or to effect regime change (to a younger Ayatollah Khamenei), or to free up the oil market (that is now more constrained, raising gas prices to the highest levels in five years), the “stable genius” occupying the White House now says that the war is both over and just beginning.

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Trump’s utterly unjustified and illegal war is going great, according to Trump. Never mind that more than 140 American soldiers suffered serious injuries, including eight fatalities. And just ignore that it’s costing American taxpayers nearly a billion dollars a day. In Trump’s mind it’s a complete success because…well, just because he says so. And his boss in Moscow surely agrees.

SEE THIS: The Trump Regime Takes Putin at His Word About Russia Aiding Iran but Wanting to Help the U.S.

Of course, the Trump regime’s war machine is fully engaged in the war effort. That means that his Secretary of “War,” Pete Hegseth, is focused squarely on the mission to achieve whatever the heck Trump’s goals are. Even though he has failed to coherently explain what they are.

For his part, Hegseth is advancing the military’s position of always putting first the most shallow objective of enhancing the PR of the Pentagon and its boss, Pete Hegseth. For instance, it was reported Wednesday that Hegseth has taken bold measures to insure that he continues to look good in the media…

The Defense Department has barred press photographers from briefings on the Iran war after they published photos of Pete Hegseth that his staff deemed "unflattering," according to two people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) 2026-03-11T15:45:18.439Z

That’s right. “Snowflake Pete” has put the kibosh on “unflattering” pictures of the Secretary of “Wah.” This is a move that ought to have been expected, coming from the former co-host of a weekend Fox News morning program. And it isn’t the first time that Hegseth has banished unfriendly media on the basis of appearances…

Trump’s Secretary of War on the Press, Pete Hegseth, Is Rebuked By the Media He’s Trying to Censor
“Hegseth proved his fealty to Trump last month when he issued a decree demanding that the press must swear a Trumpian loyalty oath before being allowed access to the Pentagon or to military leaders who work for the American people. […] The mandate that Hegseth imposed on the press forbids them to do any investigative reporting, interviewing, or to publish any stories that haven’t been pre-approved by Hegseth’s Pentagon overlords.

“Under this decree, reporters would be required to have an approved Pentagon escort when in the building. And should they refuse to sign the oath, they risk losing their press credentials.”

And who could forget Hegseth’s orders to build a makeup studio in the Pentagon, so that he could always look his best when doing cable news hits for MAGA friendly media…

Pete Hegseth Spends Thousands for a Pentagon Makeup Studio to Fortify America’s Military Might
“[Hegseth] has spent thousands of dollars to build a makeup studio in the Pentagon. Apparently, our soldiers also have to look good in battlefield photos. Or more likely, when Hegseth and other officers are making appearances on Fox News.”

More recently, Hegseth let it be known that he wouldn’t tolerate any news reporting of American casualties of war, because their having had the audacity to die on duty made Trump look bad…

Pete Hegseth Callously Dismisses American Fatalities as the Press ‘Wanting to Make Trump Look Bad’
“This is what the fake news misses. We’ve taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. We control their fate. But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front page news. I get it, the press only wants to make the president look bad. But try for once to report the reality. The terms of this war will be set by us at every step.”

Is this what Hegseth means when he talks about restoring a “warrior ethos” to the military? Because it seems more like he’s restoring the “red carpet” essence of the entertainment industry from whence he came. It surely isn’t helping either the image or the abilities of troops. But it soothes the massive but fragile egos of Hegseth and Trump. Who were both television hosts before going into politics.

RELATED STORIES:

• Fox News Has Already Declared Victory in Iran, While Trump is Threatening ‘Complete Destruction’
• Trump FREAKS OUT Over All the Bad News Dragging Him (and America) Down: Iran, Epstein, and More
• Trump Just Posted the Real Reason that He Started a War with Iran, and It’s Truly Insane

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