20,000 signatures reached
To: Trump and Congress
Fire Pete Hegseth!
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth 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 matters more than protecting human life, the rule of law, or democratic norms. Now, Hegseth has helped launch an unauthorized war in Iran, without congressional approval, defined objectives, or a clear exit strategy.
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?
Shortly after taking office last year, Hegseth gutted the Pentagon’s civilian harm mitigations team, the office responsible for creating “no strike” lists, including schools and religious sites, by 90%. The consequences were devastating. On the first day of the Iran war, a U.S. missile struck a girls school in Iran, killing at least 165 people—most of whom were school children.
Under Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s orders, the U.S. has carried out strikes on at least 47 boats in the Caribbean, killing more than 150 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.
This is the reality of Hegseth’s rebrand of the Pentagon to the “Department of War.” It was not symbolic, it reflects a worldview that prioritizes aggression, violence and unlawful behavior. 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 standards 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.