Pete Hegseth, former Fox News commentator and President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, has stirred significant controversy after advocating for an "educational insurgency" during a recent appearance on a podcast. The conversation, centered around his 2022 book "Battle for the American Mind", focused on his vision for "classical Christian schools" to play a pivotal role in reshaping American education.
Hegseth outlined his belief that religiously affiliated schools could serve as “boot camps” to prepare future generations. He stated that these schools would provide the "recruits" necessary for what he referred to as an "underground army" aimed at launching an educational insurgency in America.
Hegseth, in discussion with host Toby Sumpter on CrossPolitic, described these schools as “boot camps” that would provide the “recruits” needed for a broader ideological movement aimed at restoring America’s values. He elaborated on his concept of an "educational insurgency," drawing parallels to counterinsurgency tactics he had learned during his military service in Afghanistan.
Hegseth suggested that the first phase of this insurgency would involve regrouping and reorganizing, with a focus on creating a strong base of supporters from religiously affiliated schools. Once the groundwork is laid, he indicated, the second phase would involve more overt actions to reclaim control over the educational system.
“We call it a tactical retreat,” Hegseth explained, comparing his strategy to the principles of Mao Zedong’s insurgency tactics. “Once the foothold has been taken, once the recruits have graduated boot camp, then we can move to phase two.” He stressed that while school choice was an important policy, the real goal was to cultivate an underground force capable of eventually launching “offensive operations.”
“We’re in the middle of phase one right now, which is effectively a tactical retreat where you regroup, consolidate, and reorganize. And as you do so, you build your army underground with the opportunity later on of taking offensive operations in an overt way,” Hegseth said, adding that his remarks were "metaphorical and all that good stuff," eliciting laughter from the hosts.
Pete Hegseth is a former Fox News commentator and a veteran of the Minnesota National Guard. He has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, earning two Bronze Stars for his service. His appointment as Secretary of Defense has raised concerns due to his polarizing views and past controversies.
