“A Dangerous Place for Us to Be”: National Review Editor Criticizes Pete Hegseth’s NATO Reversal

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Alexis N. Crockett
February 14, 2025
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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In a sharply critical editorial on Thursday, National Review executive editor Mark Antonio Wright expressed disappointment in Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, arguing that while “de-wokifying the military” is important, it is not enough. The defense chief, Wright contends, must also be a clear voice for U.S. military and security policy under the Trump administration.

“That’s why Hegseth’s last 48 hours have been so surprising — and so disappointing,” Wright wrote in his piece, criticizing the Pentagon chief for his handling of U.S. policy on Ukraine and NATO.

On Wednesday morning, Hegseth addressed the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, declaring that Ukraine joining NATO was unrealistic. However, within 24 hours, he appeared to contradict his own statement during a Q&A session at NATO headquarters.

Wright described the rapid shift as baffling. “Amazingly, not 24 hours after Hegseth’s groundbreaking policy announcement, the secretary of defense walked back the key points of yesterday’s speech in a Q&A session at NATO HQ.”

While he acknowledged that the president ultimately sets policy, Wright did not excuse Hegseth’s apparent misstep. “That doesn’t excuse Hegseth and his staff for the amateur-hour bungling of yesterday’s speech and policy declaration,” he wrote.

Pete Hegseth testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill on 14 January, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo: AFP)

The editorial raised pressing questions about the decision-making process within the Department of Defense. Wright speculated on whether the White House had originally approved Hegseth’s statement, only for Trump to later change his mind, or if the Pentagon had failed to align its messaging with the administration’s stance.

“Who cleared Hegseth’s prepared speech?” Wright asked. “Did the White House — and then Trump changed his mind on the policy on Ukraine and NATO membership? Or did Hegseth and the DOD not ensure that their critical policy declaration was aligned with the president’s view? Who told Hegseth to walk back today what did he say yesterday? Is the SecDef out of the loop?”

Regardless of the reason, Wright called the episode a “very disappointing moment” for a team that had promised to improve upon what he described as the “feckless performance” of the Biden administration’s foreign policy. “Pete Hegseth is giving the impression that the secretary of defense doesn’t speak for the president, which is a dangerous place for us to be,” Wright concluded.

The controversy highlights the challenge facing the Trump administration in maintaining a consistent and authoritative message on foreign policy, especially in the high-stakes arena of NATO and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.