Paul McLeary

NATO’s next villain: Czechia Prague is on track to spend less than 2 percent of its GDP on defense, setting it on a collision course with the U.S. and other NATO allies.

NEW: Czechia is on track to slash its core defense spending to below 2 percent of GDP this year, setting it on a collision course with U.S. President Donald Trump — and the country’s NATO allies.

w/ @paulmcleary.bsky.social

www.politico.eu/article/eu-c...

It’s a busy Friday with @waytooearly.bsky.social after an extremely busy week—
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If you’re up with us, email waytooearly@ms.now with why. #waytooearly

Trump will arm South Korea with a nuclear submarine South Korea’s nuclear submarine development plans reflect Seoul’s concerns about potential Chinese and North Korean aggression.

"South Korea’s pursuit of a nuclear submarine capability reflects Seoul’s jitters over China’s increasingly aggressive military footprint in the Indo-Pacific as well as alarm about a growing threat from North Korea" w/ @paulmcleary.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Hegseth uses rare meeting of generals to announce new military standards He warned commanders who don’t support the changes could leave the service.

Trump today told several hundred generals that American cities should be “training grounds,” calling on the military leaders to “handle” the “enemy from within…before it gets out of control.”

The president's comments can often be viewed as orders.

www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

It’s Tuesday w/ @waytooearly.bsky.social and unless something major changes, the government will shut down at midnight. That & more, with…
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Per the White House - legally it is still the Department of Defense. The Department of War is a "secondary title."

So, it's a nickname.

Trump will send National Guard into Washington About 800 troops will assist local law enforcement amid the president’s pledge to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital.

Despite crime in DC being at a 30 year low, Trump orders 800 National Guard troops to the capital www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

NEW: Army says that of the 800 National Guard soldiers activated, "100-200 Soldiers will be supporting law enforcement at any given time. Their duties will include an array of tasks from administrative, logistics and physical presence in support of law enforcement."

US builds up military presence in Middle East The Pentagon is routing another aircraft carrier to the region and sending additional aircraft to Europe as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates.

Confirmed that USS Nimitz left the South China Sea and is heading for the Middle East - making TWO U.S. carrier strike groups there once it joins the USS Vinson. Also, a wave of US refueling aircraft just left for Europe.

Lots of hardware moving.

www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

US moves warships closer to Israel The move comes as Israel braces for a retaliatory attack from Iran.

The US is "using its air defenses in the region" to assist Israel in engaging Iranian missiles targeting Israel, per US defense official. www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

The vicious rivalries tearing apart Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon A feud between the secretary's advisers and his chief of staff created backbiting and distrust that has erupted into the open.

A must-read deep dive into the chaos inside the highest offices inside the Pentagon: www.politico.com/news/2025/04...

Former Pentagon official warns department's dysfunction could topple Hegseth “The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon,” John Ullyot, the former top Defense Department spokesperson, wrote in a POLITICO Magazine opinion piece.

The Pentagon is in "total chaos" and Pete Hegseth is unlikely to remain in his role, according to its former top spokesperson, who painted a scene of dysfunction, backstabbing and missteps at the highest levels of the department.

"The building is in disarray." www.politico.com/news/2025/04...

BREAKING: The DC Circuit has *rejected* DOJ's effort to lift Judge Boasberg's block on Alien Enemies Act deportations.

Ruling is 2-1, with Judge Walker dissenting. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Hegseth slips up during an international trip — again Every international trip the Pentagon chief has taken has been clouded by controversy.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is spiraling through yet another overseas trip eclipsed by a controversy largely of his own doing.

www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

‘It is highly classified’: Hegseth leaked sensitive attack details, former officials say Hegseth and the White House have denied sharing classified information or war plans.

“The information that you have fighter aircraft launching off of an aircraft carrier, flying over enemy territory and impending combat operation is the most sensitive information we have” said Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot.

www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

Musk won’t hear classified war plans in Pentagon visit A meeting about China’s threat with the Defense Secretary and a U.S. commander in the Indo-Pacific, even if unclassified, shows the billionaire’s extraordinary level of access.

Elon Musk Musk was briefed on China by Indo-Pacom chief Adm. Samuel Paparo and SecDef Pete Hegseth this morning, showing "the extraordinary level of access Musk, a defense contractor with billions of dollars in government contracts, holds over the administration." www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

Trump drastically cutting back annual human rights report Sections on women’s rights and the security of LGBTQ+ people are among those being axed.

SCOOP: The Trump team is taking a hatchet to the State Department's annual — and world-renowned — human rights report. www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

The @DeptofDefense appears to have shuttered its @DoDMinerva research program, which funded studies designed to help policymakers in the military. The Web site is down, and several academics tell me they received project termination letters.

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

MAGA hat drama could taint Trump’s top military adviser pick The president said Dan Caine once offered to kill for him and slapped a signature red hat on his head, a violation of military rules.

The first big challenge for Donald Trump’s top military adviser pick isn’t the Ukraine-Russia war or even his lack of qualifications. It’s the legend about a red MAGA hat.

www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Trump signals more firings of military leaders Senior officers involved in the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan are “going to be largely gone,” he said.

Trump and his defense secretary today said they're looking to relieve any military officer or civilian involved in the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal

www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

'Roadblocks' or supports? Military lawyers question Hegseth’s firings. The Pentagon chief said he doesn’t want lawyers who are “roadblocks” to decisions he or military commanders make.

Last year, now-SecDef Hegseth wrote “should we follow the Geneva conventions ... Aren’t we just better off in winning our wars according to our own rules?”

And now he fired the Pentagons top military legal advisors

www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

'Roadblocks' or supports? Military lawyers question Hegseth’s firings. The Pentagon chief said he doesn’t want lawyers who are “roadblocks” to decisions he or military commanders make.

Pete Hegseth’s firing of top Pentagon legal staff has alarmed military lawyers: “It will keep the lawyer out of the rooms where the decisions are made.”
www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Don't let this slip by: Trump is also firing the senior judicial officers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

They're the services' top lawyers.

WIPED OUT: Trump gutted the Joint Chiefs Friday night, firing Chairman Gen. CQ Brown - while he was visiting troops in Texas - and SecDef Hegseth said he will also replace Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti and UASF vice chief Gen. James Slife.

Pentagon prepares to fire thousands of civilian employees in dramatic culling The Department of Defense is preparing to eliminate 8 percent of its civilian workforce

NEW: Pentagon says it is firing 5,400 civilians next week as part of an effort to cull up to 8% of the civilian workforce, while implementing a hiring freeze. 46% of DoD civilians are veterans.
@politico.com

www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Pentagon prepares to fire thousands of civilian employees in dramatic culling The Department of Defense is preparing to eliminate 8 percent of its civilian workforce

BREAKING: The Pentagon is planning to fire 5,400 civilian employees starting next week as it prepares to eliminate 8 percent of its civilian workforce, the department announced Friday www.politico.com/news/2025/02... @paulmcleary.bsky.social

NEW: Half of all U.S. military flights transporting detained migrants out of the country have gone to Guantanamo Bay over the past month, officials told me. In total, 14 of 28 total flights have brought about 100 detainees to the base. @politico

Four ways of looking at Trump’s Ukraine tirade We’re watching all four to see how they can influence the coming negotiations.

NEW: Army Green Berets have been sent to Mexico to train Mexican Marines, a move which somes as US designated Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations which Musk says, “means they’re eligible for drone strikes.”
www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Trump attacks Zelenskyy as a ‘dictator without elections’ who duped US The president’s remarkable attack on the Ukrainian president is sure to deeply worry international allies and domestic supporters of an American-led global order.

Trump uncorked a new social media attack on Ukraine's leader today that was full of invented numbers and distortions of the truth. www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Funny story - the US team went on to win 3-1