I think it's a strategy. If I were Pete Hacks said I would not want Martha Radditz invaded with any units.

Oh, thanks. Now you've really done it. But I think it's true. I mean, she's going to call it like it is.

And the easiest way to stop the truth is to not allow access. And that's what they've been doing.

And it's very dangerous not just to our troops, but I think they want to leave politics out of it,

and they have to just tune out that noise.

They volunteered to serve our country. That is the single job that they want to do and they want to do it well

for all of us. Do you think they want to tune out General Millie? I do. I think they want to tune

out anybody out of Washington. And it's an honor to be here with Martha.

And you, Paul. She's a legend. We're old friends. She's a legend and we're old friends in part because she is so revered and respected across the community.

And only Martha could write a book like this because they trust her, because she has integrity, because she's independent, because she stands for all the things that our military stands for. And she's in very rare error. That's why people are so, you know, candid with her in this book. And this is a kind of book we need because it celebrates our values, our shared values. And I think that's what people in the military want most of all, is people who respect and share and honor those values. And what we've seen out of this administration is crossing

lines that have never been crossed before. No matter how you feel about Pete Higg said, everything he said

this weekend was wrong. It was out of bounds. You don't do that there. And I think that's a really

important message to convey, you know, whether it's at Arlington for Memorial Day or at a West Point

graduation, you leave your most extreme political voices out of that place. And this is where they've blurred the lines. When I really worry about it, it kind of contaminates people's trust in the military. They worry that it is Trump's military. It is Hakeset's military. And it's not. It's everyone's military. And that's the important true north. That is a very good point. That is a very good point. It just they don't want anybody to think that they're political either. And what we want to do is to make sure you look at it in a pure way that the military is non-political, that they, just as you said, Paul.

What does it do to the ability to do that, though, when a speech is given at West Point?

Paul's going to take that question. The fact that Martha is kicking that one over to me just

underscores why, frankly, she's trusted and I think vital right now because she can tell

these stories. She can hold them accountable. Look, I mean, I've called Heggseth the acting secretary of culture war. He is always a culture war every day, everywhere, all the time, including at West Point. And I would hope that the commander should say, all right, you know, sit this one out. We're going to keep it in middle of the road. But they don't. I mean, this is an opportunity for them to expand the culture war, to elevate HECF, to turn it up to 10 instead of turning it down. And I think the downside is that it's driving people away from the military. Even if you agree with their kind of politics, you probably don't want politics invoked into every single thing. And that's what's continuing to happen. Nicole, can I tell you one culture war story?, I've been around a long time and I covered women getting into combat. And I, former Captain Rose Mary Mariner, tried to get women in combat aircraft. She did it successfully. She testified on the hill. And I remember covering fighter pilots and they're, you know, we go through this too. What's it like to be a woman? And so I'm asking that question of this female fighter pilot. She's like, everybody's great. I thought, oh, yeah, but let me ask the guys. And they're like, I don't even think about it. I just don't think about it. And I don't think they think about it. In general, the majority of people there who I talk to just don't think about it. It doesn't bother them in many ways.

Absolutely, there are some loud voices out there to say, wait, wait, wait, we can't have these people or those people in here.

But if they do the job and they do the job well, they just forget about it.

Yeah, yeah. I want to ask you more about that and what's going on

and what it's like to cover the Pentagon in this moment. We have to sneak in a quick break. We'll be right

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