Trump show amps up the cringe comedy

Hilarity does not ensue:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s euphemistic applause line landed with a thud before an audience of top military brass — and the awkward pause did not go unnoticed on social media.

The defense secretary ordered hundreds of U.S. military leaders from around the world for an unusual gathering in Quantico, Virginia, where the former Fox News host regaled them with a pep talk on the “warrior ethos” he believes is currently lacking. A particular portion of the speech stood out to observers.

“Should our enemies choose foolishly to challenge us, they will be crushed by the violence, precision, and ferocity of the War Department,” Hegseth said. “To our enemies, FAFO.”

Hegseth spelled out the abbreviation, which is a genteelism for the phrase, “f–k around and find out,” then paused for a moment surveying the room.

It remained silent – save for one audible “woohoo” – in keeping with Pentagon rules regarding speeches by military commanders.

“If necessary, our troops can translate that for you,” the secretary added.

Social media users reacted to the content of Hegseth’s speech and the reaction in the room.

“’To our enemies: FAFO,'” said the widely followed Tennessee Holler account. “Holds for applause that doesn’t come. Cringey awkward moment as Hegseth summons all generals to hear him do a one-man show about how strong we are.”

“Him spelling out FAFO instead of saying f–k around and find out is parody,” agreed Bluesky user Earl Verdant. “That he followed it with a pause and a grin like he was expecting applause is beyond parody.”

Beyond parody is where we’ve been for quite awhile now.

That the most farcically unqualified political leader in American history chose the most farcically unqualified Secretary of WarFighting to “lead” the world’s largest military, via stunts that would fit comfortably into an episode of The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm if those shows weren’t actually funny is an all too predictable development.

. . . Summary:

• Hundreds of generals and admirals were summoned from around the world last week for today’s unusual meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia, without initially being told why. 
• Hegseth promoted the new name — the Department of War, although it has not officially been changed by Congress — and slammed “toxic leaders,” whom he accused of lowering standards to make the Defense Department the “woke department.” 
• Hegseth told the military leaders he’s rolling out 10 new directives involving physical fitness, new grooming requirements and a return to “the highest male standard” for combat positions. He slammed what he said were “fat troops” and added “it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the world. It’s a bad look.”
• President Trump also addressed the generals, saying “together, we’re re-awakening the warrior spirit.” His remarks, over an hour long, also included discussions of the Nobel Peace Prize, peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas and his love of tariffs.
• Mr. Trump said his administration is committing $1 trillion in 2026 for the military. Neither Mr. Trump nor Hegseth addressed the looming government shutdown. Active-duty troops will be required to report for duty but their pay will be delayed until the shutdown is over.

In short, make war crimes and domestic violence great again, while a hopelessly alcoholic wife beater whose two impressive resume items are his ability to do pushups and his TV-friendly hair harangues people who are approximately infinitely more qualified than he is to do his own job.

Yes this is all pathetic buffoonery, but fascism is generally pathetic and buffoonish, along with all the violence, misogyny etc.

A friend:

We’ve tied the hands of our cops and military has a long, long history in reactionary thought.

Truman didn’t let MacArthur win in Korea.
Could have won Vietnam too.
We didn’t have all this crime before the Warren Court, Miranda rights, and all the blubbering about “police brutality.”
Wouldn’t have terrorism if we tortured and went after their families.
War crimes? WTF is a war crime? War is brutal, don’t handcuff our boys with your preening pronouncements over tea in the Harvard faculty lounge.

Hegseth is the embodiment of all that.

Commenter Cereal points out:

“We’re under invasion from within, no different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways, because they don’t wear uniforms,” Trump says. That be Classic Fascism.

Also Trump: “We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military.”

Just straight up fascism, there isn’t any other word for it, and at this point I’m pretty much 50/50 on whether a military coup would be desirable.