Hegseth's Attempt to Drum Up Iran War Support Backfires

Old video of controversial Marine sergeant major shared without context by Defense Secretary

Mar. 22, 2026 at 2:19pm

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a video on social media of a U.S. servicemember urging fellow troops to be 'combat ready' and prepared for deployment, but the post soon backfired after critics pointed out the video was five years old and featured a retired Marine who had been relieved of duty amid controversy.

Why it matters

Hegseth's apparent attempt to drum up support for the ongoing war with Iran by sharing the video without proper context was seen as misleading and led to widespread criticism, highlighting the political tensions and public skepticism surrounding the administration's handling of the conflict.

The details

The video shared by Hegseth features Christian Bull, a former sergeant major in the U.S. Marine Corps who was relieved from duty due to 'loss of confidence in his ability to lead' after being captured on video rummaging through a subordinate Marine's home during a 'wellness check'. Bull's actions were controversial, as the subordinate Marine, Juan Gamez-Alzate, was actually under arrest at the time and had informed his sergeant major of his absence.

  • The video shared by Hegseth was recorded approximately 5 years ago.

The players

Pete Hegseth

U.S. Defense Secretary who shared the controversial video without proper context.

Christian Bull

Former sergeant major in the U.S. Marine Corps who was featured in the video, and was later relieved of duty due to controversy.

Juan Gamez-Alzate

Subordinate Marine whose home was entered by Bull during a 'wellness check', despite Gamez-Alzate being under arrest at the time.

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What they’re saying

“Too much alcohol has rotted your brain.”

— Setareh Sadeqi, Iranian professor and political commentator

“You're a drunkard buffoon.”

— Amy Siskind, Author and activist

The takeaway

This incident highlights the political tensions and public skepticism surrounding the administration's handling of the ongoing Iran conflict, as well as the importance of providing proper context when sharing information, especially on sensitive military and foreign policy matters.