Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has seemingly found a new loophole to feign transparency amid President Donald Trump’s widely panned war in Iran.
U.S. Central Command, the military combatant command leading operations in the Middle East, launched a new podcast on Thursday—exactly six months since the defense secretary’s last Pentagon press briefing and more than eight months since the unpopular war began.
The podcast, Inside CENTCOM, is meant “to introduce the incredible warfighters that make up thousands of troops protecting America forward in the Middle East,” according to its description on YouTube, where comments are turned off.
CENTCOM’s senior enlisted leader, Fleet Master Chief Lateef Compton, hosted the podcast, which he described as a way “to offer insights into how we operate here at CENTCOM and to give you an opportunity to get to know the incredible people that make up our team.”
Compton was joined on the podcast’s inaugural episode by CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, who has largely been the face of the Trump administration’s “Operation Epic Fury” alongside Hegseth.
On a set clearly inspired by Zach Galifianakis’ Between Two Ferns, the two senior military officers spoke little about the conflict the U.S. is currently involved in, opting instead for tips on physical fitness, basketball at sea, and galley lunches.
“First and foremost, we’ve got a great team, and I just couldn’t be prouder of all the work that everyone is doing,” Cooper said in the nearly 12-minute podcast. “For sure no one could have imagined the trajectory of events that we would be on, but through it, everyone has been doing a fantastic job.”
In response to CENTCOM’s announcement of the podcast on X, Washington Times Pentagon reporter Mike Glenn replied, “A press conference with the admiral would also be much appreciated.”
Cooper’s last public press briefing with journalists regarding the Iran war was during a media conference call on May 4.
“Here’s a thought: how about win a war before becoming the camo bro version of call her daddy?” wrote another X user.
Reached for comment, the Pentagon referred the Daily Beast to CENTCOM, which did not immediately respond.
The military command’s strange announcement comes amid speculation that Hegseth, 46, is being eyed as the fall guy for Republicans’ catastrophic performance in the midterm elections.
Trump, 80, has reportedly been weighing the possibility of firing the former Fox & Friends Weekend host from his Cabinet to take the heat off himself over the war on Iran, which he and Vice President JD Vance agreed was a major factor behind Democrats’ sweeping victory.
The president admitted he has received multiple phone calls begging for Hegseth’s dismissal, but he affirmed his support for the embattled defense secretary.
“I get these calls, you know, about him. I don’t understand why,” he told ABC News chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl on Thursday.
