To the editor: Again, the contributory writer Josh Hammer distorts the facts, this time in favor of the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who, according to him, is heard by the enemies of President Trump to undermine the administration (“The drum beat against Hegseth? It's not really about him,” April 24). He portrays Hegseth as the victim, never mentioning his lack of qualifications to direct America largest federal agency.
Hammer rejects the two episodes of Hegseth's “signalgate” because of chance: limited information has not fallen into the hands of the enemy and therefore no harm struck us. I doubt that Hammer will give a defense secretary a pass for non-professional and non-professional behavior inexcusably if the president in office was a democrat.
Robert J. Switzer, West Hollywood
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To the editor: Hammer really hit his thumb with his latest editorial. The problems with Hegseth are neither small nor insignificant. The fact that he shared military plans with unnamed people is enough to force him to get out of a job that he should never have been allowed to fill. You can go through his incompetence by blaming the Democrats to worry about qualifying, but whoever cares about our nation knows that he must go.
Craig Arnold, Long Beach
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To the publisher: Hammer claims that HegSeth's problems are only attempts by “Iran Doves and anti-Israeli provocateurs with trend (ING) the opportunity to increase a practical” bellicist scalp “. A large part of the American public understands and accepts that any Trump administration would have a more bellicist position on Iran. What the public cannot accept, however, is a method of leadership rider and negligent of the US Secretary for Defense. Communicating sensitive military operations on a public, unopassed and precarious public group that includes your wife and personal lawyer is incredibly imprudent and puts American life in danger. No, Hammer, this is Hegseth.
Johnny Thompson, San Diego
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To the editor: I am sorry, but I think that Americans can oppose the US defense secretary using personal devices and unsafe systems to communicate classified information to a random assortment of people. I think that people can oppose the fact that the safety of basic operations is flouted, creating risks for members of the service and the American people, without it being a kind of people with different foreign policy opinions.
Mehmet Berker, Los Angeles
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To the editor: It is often difficult to separate the truth from fiction, and in our current political atmosphere, this is often the point. But the hammer makes it a little easier. Rather than defending Hegseth's actions or his ability to do the work, Hammer uses his column space to attack the accusers. It is an old tactic, a sign of weakness and a sure indication that he has no more confidence in Hegseth than anyone.
Bart Braverman, Indio
