U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
airs Friday, Dec. 5, 2025 at 8PM on PBS (check local listings)
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Secretary Hegseth on Defense
Pete Hegseth's tenure leading the Pentagon has been marred by missteps and scandals. This has been a particularly bruising week, after he was accused of committing possible war crimes and potentially endangering the lives of American troops. In public, President Trump supports Hegseth, but behind closed doors, his standing in the Trump administration doesn’t appear to be as secure.
Joining editor in chief of The Atlantic and moderator, Jeffrey Goldberg, to discuss this and more:
- Peter Baker, Chief White House Correspondent, The New York Times
- Susan Glasser, Staff Writer, The New Yorker
- Nancy Youssef, National Security Correspondent, The Atlantic
Major funding for Washington Week with The Atlantic is provided by Consumer Cellular, the Yuen Foundation, Sandra and Carl DeLay-Magnuson,
Rose Hirschel and Andy Shreeves, Robert and Susan Rosenbaum, and PBS.
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