Hegseth speech leans on culture war flashpoints

NPR | By Tom Bowman

Published September 30, 2026 at 6:18 PM EDT

Against the backdrop of an unpopular war in Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a "State of the Force" speech announcing new autonomous warfare initiatives and leaned on culture war flashpoints.

Tom Bowman

Tom Bowman is a NPR National Desk reporter covering the Pentagon.

See stories by Tom Bowman

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