‘We need lethal leaders’: Pete Hegseth puts America’s enemies on notice

WASHINGTON, DC: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Texas A&M cadets that US adversaries should expect defeat if they challenge American military forces in a warning to potential adversaries.

He called for “lethal leaders who know how to win” and tied the approach to President Donald Trump’s “peace through strength” doctrine.

Hegseth delivered the remarks on Saturday, September 19, during a speech to the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets in College Station, Texas.

Pete Hegseth ties Trump’s doctrine to fight-to-win approach

“Our allies must know that America stands firm, and our enemies certainly are on notice,” Hegseth said. “That if you challenge the United States armed forces, defeat will be your end.”

He said the Defense Department’s mission is first to deter war, but if deterrence fails, it must “fight, defeat, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America.”

Hegseth said the department does not need “globalist seminars” or to feel “guilty about American power,” arguing instead that it needs “lethal leaders who know how to win.”

He linked that approach directly to Trump, saying, “Under the leadership of our Commander in Chief, President Donald J Trump, our doctrine is clear: America first, and peace through strength.”

He said that doctrine is pursued through “reviving the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and re-establishing deterrence here at home and across the globe.”

Hegseth says Texas A&M represents his military model

Hegseth used Texas A&M as an example of the civil-military culture he said the country needs, praising the Corps of Cadets for its discipline and commitment to service.

“Wars are won by the will and the lethality of warriors on the front lines,” he said, adding that technology and industrial capacity also matter but cannot replace officers who can lead under fire.

He pointed to Saronic, a veteran-led company he visited in Austin, as part of what he called the “arsenal of freedom,” citing autonomous vessels, drones and hypersonic missiles being developed in Texas.

Hegseth said those systems require military leaders capable of commanding them. 

“The arsenal of freedom builds the sword right here in Texas, but that blade will be wielded as it always has been by the Aggies standing in front of me today,” he said.

He also praised Texas A&M’s military heritage, noting that more than 20,000 Aggies served in World War II and that nine Texas A&M graduates have received the Medal of Honor.

Pete Hegseth vows to back troops and remove silly rules

Hegseth also used the speech to describe changes he said have reshaped the military under Trump, including eliminating DEI offices and quotas and emphasizing merit, training, readiness and lethality.

“The only thing that matters are our standards, discipline, readiness, training, and lethality, and we will never compromise on those standards,” he said.

He said the department had banned the teaching of critical race theory and “divisive ideologies” across its academic institutions and commissioning pipelines.

Hegseth then made a pledge to the cadets, saying he would support them as they enter military service.

“We will never tie your hands behind your back,” he said. “Silly rules of engagement are gone. War fighters are unleashed, and we never ask you to apologize for being warriors.”

He later told the cadets to “prepare to lead the most formidable fighting force the world has ever known,” before participating in a formal contracting ceremony for future ROTC cadets.