Pro-MAGA commentator Caroline Sunshine delivered a blistering rebuke of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on CNN Wednesday, demanding that he stop campaigning for Republicans and defending military flyover stunts and instead visit troops wounded in the Iran war.
Sunshine made the remarks during a panel discussion on “CNN NewsNight” focused on turmoil inside the Pentagon and a series of high-level departures that have created staffing gaps throughout the military.
The discussion followed a Washington Post report that Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George shortly after the general was instructed to halt an investigation into an Army helicopter flyover near singer Kid Rock’s home.
Fellow MAGA commentator Jason Rantz defended Hegseth’s response to the flyover controversy. Rantz acknowledged that the incident may have been “not the right thing optic-wise,” but argued that the stunt was “cool” and could benefit military recruitment.
“Right now he’s incredibly popular amongst troops,” Rantz said. “We see recruitment going up and recruitment has been going up since they took over because of this.”
“We may not like it, but the reality is that’s cool,” he continued. “People look at that and they like that and that’s a recruitment tool.”
Sunshine quickly interrupted, arguing that the Pentagon has failed to make Hegseth available to answer questions about that controversy and other pressing military matters.
“I think it would be great if you could ask Pete Hegseth about this, but unfortunately the Pentagon has not held a press briefing since May 5,” Sunshine said.
She then turned the discussion toward the hundreds of troops reportedly wounded during the Iran war, blasting the Pentagon for failing to publicly address the matter.
“And since then, we have found out that we have 774 wounded soldiers as a result of [the Iran] war,” Sunshine said. “And the Pentagon has not come out and answered questions about it.”
Sunshine contrasted the department’s posture with that of President Donald Trump, whom she said regularly answers questions from reporters.
The president is “out there every day taking questions from the press every day on tarmacs here, there,” Sunshine said, arguing that the Pentagon “needs to follow that posture.”
Sunshine then singled out Hegseth’s Aug. 17 appearance at the Iowa State Fair, where the defense secretary promoted his support for Republican Rep. Zach Nunn.
“And Pete needs to stop going to Iowa to campaign for Republican congressmen,” Sunshine said.
She concluded by calling on Hegseth to focus on the service members injured in the conflict.
“Maybe he should go visit the bedsides of those 774 wounded,” Sunshine said, arguing that doing so would serve both the military and the president better than his current conduct.
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