At a Turning Point USA Event in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spoke about President Trump pressuring European NATO allies to increase their defense spending.
00:00of the American people, but it's also the reestablishing deterrence around the globe.
00:05And that's why what happened through Operation Midnight Hammer was so important.
00:10By the way, a mission from the beginning, President Trump set the tone of what that
00:15would look like, the effects that would happen. He understood exactly, and our job was simply
00:21to execute and to watch the skilled and courageous men and women of our military from beginning
00:27to end from the Situation Room, to the maps, to the trajectories, to hearing the radio
00:32calls. I wish everybody could hear that and see that. It just makes you so proud to be
00:40an American. And it reestablishes an understanding from the world of what we're capable of.
00:45No other country on Earth could even remotely do what those pilots did. Plan, coordinate,
00:53facilitate, refuel midair, you know, dozens of times. Seven jets going one way, two deceiving
01:02the world the other way. Everybody thought it was going that way. You zig, you zang.
01:07Fly over Iran. They never see you. They don't shoot. You disable enemy capabilities, and you
01:12get out of dodge. Or as President Trump says, he said, skedaddle.
01:16That is a specific military doctrinal term. Now, that was not just a message to Iran's nuclear
01:30capabilities. It was a message to all of our adversaries and all of our allies that American
01:36leadership and strength is back.
01:46We've also sent the message to the world, through what President Trump has done in Europe and
01:51through NATO, that the era of freeloading off America is also over.
01:57I'm a big fan of alliances, and we're a proud member of NATO. But an alliance can't just be
02:10about flags and conferences. It needs to be about formations and capabilities. Military
02:19alliances only work when you have actual hard power to bring to bear. And only because of
02:23President Trump, is Europe stepping up and spending now what was inconceivable, many of these
02:28countries were spending 1% on defense, just in his first term. But because of President Trump's
02:33leadership, they're committed now to spending 5% of GDP on defense, which means they lead the way,
02:39and we don't have to do it for them.
02:41So in closing, I just want to never forget that the motto of our great country — when I got criticism
02:57for starting a monthly prayer service at the Department of Defense — voluntary prayer service — I reminded our
03:09friends in the media, you know, the motto of our country is, in God we trust. That the military has a long
03:17heritage of being on bended knee, appealing to heaven in the most impossible of situations. God's providence
03:24brought us here.
03:32Our founders understood that. So I want to commend you for being in these seats, for having the leadership
03:38that you have in your high schools, in your colleges, in your communities, for having the courage of your
03:44convictions to stand up and lead based on your principles. That is leadership. That is putting
03:49America first. That is showing strength. And I commend you for that. But I also hope, on behalf of a new and
03:57improved Department of Defense, that you will also take a look at serving your country. That you will consider
04:04the incredible lineage.
04:10Let me tell you something. You will — I've never met someone who served — it's very few and far between — who regrets the day
04:17that they raised their right hand to defend their nation. And say — and try to test themselves to see whether they can
04:23stand up to the legacy of previous generations. Now, it's my job, and it's President Trump's job, to make sure we use those troops properly. That they're properly trained. That they have a clear mission.
04:32A limited objective that everyone understands. And they've got the best equipment in the world, which President Trump is providing.
04:40But what we really need are the best young Americans. So thank you for being here. God bless our warriors. And God bless the United States of America. Thank you. Appreciate you. Thank you.
