President Donald Trump kicked off the 12th Cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday with locker-room-style banter, praising the physical appearance of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom he referred to as the “Secretary of War”. Trump described Hegseth as “Central Casting” and slapped his biceps during the session at the White House.
Hegseth responded with an effusive monologue, comparing Trump to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. He praised Trump’s military actions in Iran, including Operation Epic Fury, saying: “You said we’re going to do this smart, we’re going to do it overwhelming, we’re going to use maximum lethality, and we’re going to bring them to their knees.” The meeting featured the sycophantic praise typical of Trump’s second-term Cabinet gatherings.
The meeting was originally scheduled at Camp David but was moved to the White House due to “bad weather”, according to Trump. A White House official said discussions would cover economic wins, fraud task force highlights, and foreign policy updates. However, the backdrop included high-stakes peace talks with Iran, which appeared to be breaking down.
On Tuesday, renewed US strikes against Iranian boats and missile launch sites drew condemnations from Tehran, accusing Washington of ceasefire violations. White House officials said the sticking points remain the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Earlier Wednesday, the White House dismissed an Iranian state TV report on a draft memorandum of understanding as a “complete fabrication”.
