(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . How thin is Pete Hegseth’s skin? [1] ['Oliver Willis', 'View Profile', 'Lisa Needham', 'Alix Breeden', 'Emily Singer', 'Walter Einenkel'] Date: 2026-04-24 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has purged the independent ombudsman for the Pentagon’s newspaper, Stars and Stripes, after she dared to criticize the Trump administration. The purge is the latest in a series of firings from Hegseth centered on loyalty to President Donald Trump. Jacqueline Smith revealed that she had been let go in her final column for the newspaper, which was published Thursday. “Apparently the Pentagon also doesn’t want you to hear from me anymore about threats to the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes,” she wrote. “They fired me.” Attribution: AP A GI with the U.S. 25th division reads Stars and Stripes newspaper at Cu Chi, South Vietnam, on Sept. 10, 1969. Smith noted that her firing comes after Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced in January that the administration would be changing the editorial focus of the paper to align with Hegseth and Trump’s vision. “We will modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale,” Parnell wrote on X at the time. Smith has written columns criticizing the policy and advocated for the continued independence of the paper, which has been published for more than 160 years and through multiple wars. “Woke” has been the GOP’s catchphrase to attack efforts advancing racial and gender equality and to reinforce the purported supremacy of cisgender, straight, white men—like Trump and Hegseth. Earlier this month, a coalition of Democratic senators—Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and Mark Kelly of Arizona—wrote to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg expressing concerns about perverting Stars and Stripes from its core mission. “DoD’s new policy threatens the credibility of Stars and Stripes, and the reliable flow of unbiased news to service members, and contradicts decades of congressional reforms that guarded against censorship at the paper,” they wrote. “We urge you to immediately rescind DoD’s new policy and restore editorial independence guaranteed by the First Amendment to Stars and Stripes.” Smith’s firing shows that Hegseth intends to continue silencing voices of dissent. He has been on an anti-free speech rampage, empowered by Trump to remove voices that dare to question the administration’s directives. On Wednesday, Navy Secretary John Phelan was removed from his position, even as the Navy is deeply involved in Trump’s war in Iran and patrolling the Strait of Hormuz. Hegseth has also been working within the Pentagon to block promotions for Black, Latino, and women servicemembers while prioritizing the rise of white men. Related | Hegseth declares war on … flu vaccines? In his open hostility toward the press, Hegseth has worked to curtail coverage that shows any cracks in the image he’s presented to the public. In March, he issued an edict preventing press photographers from covering briefings because they released “unflattering” photos of Hegseth. The Pentagon also declined to approve Stars and Stripes for press credentials to cover a press briefing in March. Ironically, Hegseth has been invited by CBS News to attend the upcoming White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which is meant to be a celebration of journalism and the protections of the First Amendment. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/24/800027060/media-and-culture/how-thin-is-pete-hegseths-skin/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/