500 signatures reached
To: Trump and Congress
Fire Pete Hegseth!
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has openly pushed to turn the Pentagon into the “Department of War,” signaling an agenda of permanent aggression instead of genuine defense, diplomacy, and restraint. This framing sends a dangerous message: that projecting force and political bravado matter more than protecting human life, the rule of law, or democratic norms.
Hegseth also lacks the professional history and credibility traditionally expected for this role. His appointment was driven by politics and media profile, not deep defense policy, management, or alliance experience, and his past record includes serious concerns about judgment, misconduct, and mismanagement. The stakes of this office are too high to leave it in the hands of someone unqualified and ideologically extreme. Pete Hegseth should not be the Secretary of Defense.
Why is this important?
Under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth watch, recent unauthorized boat strikes in the Caribbean killed more than 60 civilians. This highlights a reckless disregard for civilians and basic standards of international humanitarian law. Treating civilian casualties as an acceptable cost of “showing strength” undermines U.S. credibility with other countries, fuels instability, and puts both service members and communities abroad at greater risk.
His explicit effort to rebrand the Pentagon as the “Department of War” is not symbolic; it reflects a worldview that prioritizes aggression and political theatrics over careful, lawful, and restrained use of military power. Civilian lives must never be treated as expendable, and any leader who normalizes such harm and normalizes war crimes cannot credibly claim to be safeguarding our national security, our values, or the service members asked to carry out these operations.
His explicit effort to rebrand the Pentagon as the “Department of War” is not symbolic; it reflects a worldview that prioritizes aggression and political theatrics over careful, lawful, and restrained use of military power. Civilian lives must never be treated as expendable, and any leader who normalizes such harm and normalizes war crimes cannot credibly claim to be safeguarding our national security, our values, or the service members asked to carry out these operations.
Hegseth’s background simply does not meet the standard for this job. For the safety of U.S. troops, the protection of civilians, and the integrity of our democracy, we need to remove Pete Hegseth and confirm a Secretary who values human life, international law, and true defense over permanent, endless war.