Pentagon Chief Faces Criticism After Fact Check of Top Gun-Style Appearance

In a recent incident that has drawn criticism and mockery, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faced public scrutiny after a promotional video appeared to suggest he piloted a fighter jet, despite having no flight credentials.

The controversy began when a right-wing social media account on X (formerly Twitter) shared footage of Hegseth in an FA-18 Super Hornet, the same aircraft featured in the movie “Top Gun: Maverick.” The account enthusiastically proclaimed, “It’s settled. Pete Hegseth has to be the coolest Secretary of Defense in American history. I had no idea this guy could fly planes.”

The claim was promptly debunked by X’s Community Notes feature, which initially added a terse two-word correction: “He can’t.” The note was later expanded to clarify, “Pete Hegseth did not fly this plane or cannot fly any plane currently. He has no known flight training or certification. He was in the back seat.”

While neither Hegseth nor the Department of Defense explicitly claimed the Secretary was piloting the aircraft, critics argue the promotional material was deliberately ambiguous. The video, shared by the “Department of War” — the Department of Defense’s recently established “secondary title” under a September executive order — showed only Hegseth in the aircraft during flight sequences, without clear indication he was merely a passenger.

Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger observed, “They really are not saying but kind of trying to imply to people that he flew it.” The aircraft was actually piloted by Lt. Commander Dillon “Bodacious” Hamrick, with the 45-year-old Secretary of Defense riding as a passenger.

Military experts have criticized the stunt as an inappropriate use of resources, particularly given ongoing U.S. military operations worldwide. Dan Grazier, senior fellow and director of the National Security Reform Program, told The Washington Post, “There are better uses of his time than in a simulator and on training flights for what is effectively a stunt. Not only are we inflicting casualties, but American troops are also in harm’s way. So I would prefer our nation’s leaders are keeping a closer eye on the ball.”

The Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.

This incident follows a pattern of what critics describe as Hegseth using military assets for promotional purposes. Last month, he issued a controversial directive requiring U.S. generals stationed around the world to travel to Virginia for a meeting where they listened to Hegseth and President Trump discuss topics including “warrior ethos,” beards, and physical fitness. The directive was criticized as an unusual and expensive use of military resources and personnel time.

The fighter jet controversy highlights ongoing tensions between military professionals concerned with operational readiness and effective leadership versus what some see as political appointees using the military’s prestige for personal or political gain.

The incident also underscores the increasingly important role that social media fact-checking plays in modern political discourse. Community Notes on X has become a significant tool for crowd-sourced verification of claims made by public officials and commentators, providing real-time corrections that can quickly counter misleading information.

As Secretary of Defense, Hegseth oversees the largest military in the world during a time of significant global instability, including ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and military operations in the Caribbean mentioned in reporting about the incident. Critics suggest these publicity stunts distract from the serious responsibilities of the position at a critical geopolitical moment.

The Department of Defense has not issued any clarification about the video or responded to the criticism surrounding it.