Military Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned Monday after months of friction with Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth. On Tuesday’s CNN This Morning, right here was the lineup that host Audie Cornish selected to debate it.
First up was retired Maj. Gen. Randy Method, who unleashed this anti-Hegseth salvo:
“We have now a really, very hole and, fairly frankly, a B-minus workforce main on the prime of the navy. We are actually in a a lot, rather more harmful state of affairs. We’re a lot weaker than we had been even earlier than 9/11, sadly.”
Cornish handled that as skilled prognosis. She didn’t point out Method’s politics.
Since 2016, Method has been a strident Trump critic. In 2024, he endorsed Kamala Harris, appeared on the Democratic Nationwide Conference, and publicly defended Tim Walz’s Nationwide Guard file.
Cornish then quoted Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.): “Secretary Hegseth is cultivating a tradition the place dissent is punished, and competence is secondary to non-public allegiance.”
Cornish seconded Reed’s take, declaring that she’d like “another individuals to have a say, and a few people who find themselves keen to have dissent.”
Cornish later performed one other clip of Method.
“It’s a disaster of management even inside this administration, inside the Division of Protection, and once more, it’s placing our younger women and men in hurt’s approach unnecessarily. Fairly frankly, the Secretary of Protection has bought to go.”
Ashley Davis was the panel’s solely Republican. Removed from defending Hegseth, she known as Driscoll “an incredible man” with “lots of integrity,” and stated his resignation constituted “a big criticism of the secretary.”
Cornish then introduced on Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.)
“Yeah, I truly agree with the chief [Manner] you had on. It’s time for the secretary to go.”
Cornish then invited Olszewski to reply to Laura Loomer and her latest offensive feedback about “ghetto” black girls in politics. After Olszewski condemned them as “disgusting and vile,” Cornish requested what gave him standing to sentence Loomer when “there are many voices on-line on the left who’ve been saying anti-Semitic issues.”
Olszewski: “I can do it as a result of I’ve been a number one voice in opposition to antisemitism, too. Hate speech is unsuitable, no matter the place it comes from.”
However neither Olszewski nor Cornish named one individual on the left. No Mamdani. No Hasan Piker. No El-Sayed. Olszewski bought to pose as an equal-opportunity critic with out stirring the Democratic pot.
Let’s summarize. Cornish’s notion of steadiness was three anti-Hegseth voices — a Kamala-endorsing basic, Reed, and Olszewski — plus her personal skeptical voice on him. The only Republican expressed reward just for Driscoll.
Not a phrase in protection of Hegseth.
Unhealthy Method[s], Audie!
Here is the transcript.
CNN This Morning
9/1/26
6:01 am EDTAUDIE CORNISH: Good morning, everyone. I am Audie Cornish, and right here is the place we start. One other shakeup in navy management. A number of sources telling CNN that Military Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to President Trump.
So the explanation behind his departure, quote, “considerations of the Military transformation and readiness,” and Hegseth’s, quote, “blocking these efforts particularly by firing the generals who had been accountable.”
Now, since taking on, Hegseth has fired or pressured out a number of prime brass, together with the Military Chief of Employees, Normal Randy George. Six months into the struggle with Iran, there are questions on how weak this makes the US.
RANDY MANNER: We have now a really, very hole and, fairly frankly, a B-minus workforce main on the prime of the navy. These are very succesful officers, however not on the degree that they’re performing in. And so we are actually in a a lot, rather more harmful state of affairs. We’re a lot weaker than we had been even earlier than 9/11, sadly.
. . .
CORNISH: Ashley, I wish to begin with you, as a result of The Atlantic is reporting that sources informed them that Trump was shocked by the sheer quantity of firings and resignations underneath Hegseth, and that he has truly expressed considerations in regards to the cuts.
Why is he shocked, given what Hegseth stated getting in? And do you assume that it is a signal that this White Home is worried?
ASHLEY DAVIS: Effectively, I am simply watching the sluggish drip of Pete Hegseth’s story. So whether or not it is — I, I’ve met the Secretary of the Military, and he is an incredible man. He is very shut with JD Vance. I feel that he had lots of integrity and , supposedly he did temporary the president earlier than resigning and why he resigned. However — which could be very uncommon —
CORNISH: I used to be going to say.
DAVIS: — for somebody to go across the chain of command to do this.
CORNISH: And this isn’t, “I am leaving for household,” like what his…
DAVIS: No, his is a big criticism of the secretary. But in addition, the drip, drip, drip of Hegseth speaking about working for president can also be in all probability not sitting properly with this administration.
CORNISH: Oh, like his go to to Iowa the opposite day or-
DAVIS: Yeah. Yeah, properly, and he is supposedly, there’s inside sources that say that he desires to run for president.
CHUCK ROCHA: And the president was requested about it yesterday. And the president was asking, he was like, “Pete’s a pleasant man, he is targeted on the military, I do not assume he is in all probability gonna run.”
DAVIS: So we’ll see if, how lengthy this lasts. I imply, nothing’s gonna occur earlier than the, the elections, after which clearly till Iran has some type of-
CORNISH: Yeah, however we’re in a second, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island saying, “Secretary Hegseth is cultivating a tradition the place dissent is punished and competence is secondary to non-public allegiance.”
DAVIS: The Deputy Secretary ss confirmed.
CORNISH: Sure, however I am saying, after that, Hegseth’s the boss, and that is it. I would like another individuals to have a say, and a few people who find themselves keen to have dissent.
. . .
Again now to our prime story, and the query about navy readiness underneath Pete Hegseth. Military Secretary Dan Driscoll is resigning amid stress with the protection secretary. He joins an extended listing of prime brass that is been fired or pressured out since Hegseth took over. It is elevating considerations about his management and the place it leaves our navy.
MANNER: It is a disaster of management even inside this administration, inside the Division of Protection. And once more, it’s placing our younger women and men in hurt’s approach unnecessarily. So that is completely inappropriate. Fairly frankly, the Secretary of Protection has bought to go.
CORNISH: Becoming a member of me now, Democratic Congressman of Maryland, Johnny Olszewski. He additionally sits on the Home International Affairs Committee, not Armed Providers. However I needed to ask as a result of, most of our international affairs today is navy.
JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI: Completely.
CORNISH: So do you’ve considerations about Pete Hegseth’s management?
OLSZEWSKI: Yeah, I truly agree with the, the chief you had on. It is time for the secretary to go. I imply, I known as for his resignation or firing again when he was leaking struggle plans on Sign.
And so this has been, chief of our Division of Protection that has clearly been extra fascinated with social media and the highlight than truly preventing and profitable wars and maintaining our nation protected right here on the struggle.
. . .
CORNISH: Can I come again to the influencer factor, speaking about Hegseth form of bringing people into the Division of Protection. That is fascinating as a result of this administration embraces on-line influencers very tightly. And one in all them has had a hand, reportedly claims to have had a hand, in getting individuals fired, , within the safety equipment. And now she has- made racist feedback in opposition to a few of your, colleagues who’re Democrats. A, what was your response once you heard what this individual needed to say?
OLSZEWSKI: What Lara Loomer stated was disgusting. It was vile, and it should not be arduous for leaders of all political stripes to reject, reject that form of political rhetoric.
CORNISH: One of many stuff you hear Republicans say when this dialog has come up within the final couple of hours is, “Wait a second, look, there are many voices on-line on the left who’ve been saying antisemitic issues, and subsequently, how are you going to come after Laura Loomer on this occasion?”
OLSZEWSKI: I can do it as a result of I have been a number one voice in opposition to antisemitism, too. Hate speech is unsuitable, no matter the place it comes from.
And that is the issue with our politics immediately, is that persons are afraid to name out what’s unsuitable, wherever it exists. That is why Individuals are so pissed off with politics immediately, as a result of members of Congress do not get something finished.
We’re unwilling to name out what’s clearly racist, vile rhetoric, and it is gotta cease, and we, we now have to be those to cease it.
