For weeks, the highest levels of the U.S. military have been rocked by turmoil and fear, as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth grapples with assassination threats and the fallout from a string of violent political attacks. According to the Daily Mail, Hegseth has been “crawling out of his skin” as he copes with mounting security concerns, particularly in the wake of the shocking killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this month. The anxiety has been so intense that the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) pulled agents from their regular posts to guard Hegseth’s homes in Minnesota, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.
“There’s a manic quality about him. Or let me rephrase, an even more manic quality, which is really saying something,” an insider told the Daily Mail. The source described a man on edge, erupting in tirades and obsessing over his own safety, as the nation’s political temperature continues to rise. Another source added, “Dude is crawling out of his skin.”
This climate of fear reached a crescendo on September 30, 2025, when Hegseth addressed senior military leaders at Quantico, Virginia. His speech, which outlined ten new combat directives focused on physical fitness and grooming, was anything but routine. “Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations or really any formation and see fat troops,” Hegseth declared, according to the Daily Mail. “Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”
The address was part of a broader push to instill a “warrior ethos” throughout the armed forces—a campaign so central to Hegseth’s vision that the Department of Defense was officially renamed the Department of War earlier this year. “Today, we end the War on Warriors,” Hegseth announced in a Tuesday morning post on X, as reported by the Daily Mail.
But the lead-up to the Quantico summit was anything but smooth. According to The Independent, Hegseth’s decision to summon every military official above the rank of one-star general to Virginia raised alarms among defense experts. The move, they warned, could leave American forces dangerously exposed, as so many senior leaders temporarily abandoned their posts to attend the meeting. Political analyst David Rothkopf, speaking on The Daily Beast Podcast, called the gathering a “waste of time” and suggested it might even trigger a wave of firings.
Hegseth’s tenure has been marked by controversy from the start. His nomination as Secretary of War—following the department’s renaming—sparked backlash from Democrats and skepticism from some Republicans. He has become a lightning rod for criticism, not just for his combative rhetoric but also for a series of high-profile missteps. Earlier this year, he was embroiled in a scandal when sensitive war plans were accidentally texted to a journalist via the Signal messaging app. He also made headlines for terminating the ‘Women, Peace & Security’ (WPS) program and implementing new standards for women in combat roles, moves that drew ire from advocates and lawmakers alike.
“He wrote a book about making warriors tougher. And his line is, previous administrations with political correctness have allowed more women into combat roles, many of which he think should not be in there,” CBS News Radio Correspondent Michael Wallace told WCCO, offering insight into Hegseth’s mindset and policy goals.
The tension inside the Pentagon comes as the nation reels from a new wave of politically motivated violence. Just this week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring Antifa a “domestic terrorist organization,” directing federal agencies to investigate and dismantle its operations, according to The Washington Stand. The order came on the heels of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, a crime that has sent shockwaves through conservative circles. The shooter reportedly left bullet casings engraved with Antifa-themed messages, adding fuel to an already raging fire.
Experts consulted by The Washington Stand were quick to point out that Antifa is not a traditional organization with a clear hierarchy, but rather a “terrorist-style network” whose operations are often obscured from public view. These experts argue that Antifa is sometimes aided by above-ground institutions that provide cover, resources, or legitimacy to its underground cells.
One institution now under renewed scrutiny is the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Once celebrated as a civil rights watchdog, the SPLC has been accused by critics of morphing into a “spotter and targeteer for the left wing,” as Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, wrote in The Washington Stand. In federal court, the SPLC’s activities have already been linked to domestic terrorism, and its widely circulated “hate map” has been criticized for allegedly serving as a roadmap for would-be assassins.
The pattern, according to Perkins, is deeply troubling. In 2010, the SPLC placed the Family Research Council on its “hate map.” Two years later, a gunman entered the group’s headquarters with 100 rounds of ammunition, critically wounding a staff member before being subdued. The attacker later told investigators he was inspired by the SPLC’s map. Similarly, in 2014, the SPLC began targeting Rep. Steve Scalise in its “Hatewatch” publications. In 2017, Scalise was shot and nearly killed at a congressional baseball practice by a leftist gunman.
The SPLC’s 2024 “Year in Hate and Extremism” report included Charlie Kirk and his organization, Turning Point USA, just months before Kirk’s assassination. “Coincidence? I don’t think so,” Perkins wrote. Despite public appeals, the SPLC has refused to remove its online “hate map,” which lists the addresses of those it deems extremist.
Perkins and other conservative leaders argue that the SPLC’s influence extends far beyond its own publications. They claim that Democratic administrations have used SPLC materials to target churches and veterans, that the media has amplified its labels to silence conservatives, and that major corporations have funneled millions to the SPLC or used its designations to block services and donations.
“The conclusion is disturbing: SPLC’s, and other organization’s imprimatur are allegedly all over the culture of targeting fueling political violence,” Perkins asserted. He called on the Trump administration to not only investigate Antifa but to “expose and confront the SPLC’s purported role—and the corporations reportedly underwriting it.”
As the nation navigates these treacherous waters, the stakes could hardly be higher. With assassination fears rattling the Pentagon, political violence on the rise, and institutions once trusted now under suspicion, the line between security and paranoia has rarely felt so thin. The coming months will test the resolve of leaders and citizens alike as they grapple with a new era of domestic unrest and ideological warfare.
