The Pentagon Cut Its Civilian Safeguards Before the Iran War

Even before President Trump returned to office, his advisers sought to remove what they saw as unnecessary constraints on the way the American military fights. The man Trump had tapped to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, had long complained about “weak” and “woke” policies that he believed were hampering the cause of battlefield victory.  

In early 2025, ahead of Trump’s second inauguration, members of his transition team asked military officials to review and potentially close a unit—a...