The Daily Signal Presents "Problematic Women" - Government Shutdown Is Over, But the Pentagon’s Overhaul Is Just Getting Started

The Daily Signal

News, Government, Politics, Daily News

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 November 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Woke is out at the Department of War, and higher fitness standards are back. Since being sworn in as secretary, Pete Hegseth has acted to “removed the distractions” from the department, including getting rid of “political correctness” and “DEI offices.” “No more dudes in dresses,” Hegseth said during a recent speech, adding, “we are restoring a ruthless, dispassionate, and common-sense application of standards.” Amid the Department of War's implementation of common-sense politics and higher fitness standards, more women have chosen to enlist in the U.S. military. Over the summer, the Department of War, which was recently renamed from the Department of Defense, announced about 24,000 women were shipped off to basic training in fiscal year 2025, up from about 16,700 in 2024. Women want to be held to high standards, and that includes in military fitness, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson says on this week’s edition of “Problematic Women.” Wilson joins the show to pull back the curtain on life at the Pentagon under Hegseth’s leadership, and explain the departments aggressive strategy behind defeating narco-terrorists. Also on this week's edition of “Problematic Women,” we discuss who “won” the government shutdown battle. Plus, is the culture shifting toward a celebration of the family, or is it only a trend among some celebrities? 00:00 Introduction 01:27 Pentagon's Anti-Drug Operations 11:36 Impact of the Shutdown on the Military 19:15 Changes at the Department of War 26:47 Women in the Military 28:47 Behind the Scenes with Secretary Hegseth 33:29 Is Hollywood Mainstreaming Parenthood? 41:59 Question of the Week and Conclusion Connect with our hosts on socials! Elise McCue X: https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=EliseMcCue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisemccueofficial/ Virginia Allen: X: https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=Virginia_Allen5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginiaallenofficial/ Morgonn McMichael: X: https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=morgonnm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgonnm/ Keep Up With The Daily Signal Sign up for our email newsletters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.dailysignal.com/email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our other shows: The Tony Kinnett Cast: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2284199939⁠ The Signal Sitdown: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2026390376⁠ Problematic Women:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL7765680741⁠ Victor Davis Hanson: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL9809784327⁠ Follow The Daily Signal: X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=DailySignal⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thedailysignal/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Truth Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://truthsocial.com/@DailySignal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1⁠ Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, this is Virginia Allen, and I'm excited to share this episode of Problematic Women,
0:04.8	one of the Daily Signals, other podcasts.
0:07.3	Each episode, we navigate the biggest stories in politics and culture, and we have a lot of fun doing it, too.
0:13.9	If you like what you hear today, make sure to subscribe to Problematic Women for weekly episodes.
0:19.3	Welcome back to Problematic Women. Everybody, the government
0:22.3	shutdown is over. Cheers, hurrahs. So exciting. How did this happen? Who's responsible for it? How long will it
0:29.6	last? And what does this mean for you, the average American? Also, in addition to the government
0:34.1	shutdown being over and just the government being back,
0:38.1	the Pentagon was really never gone.
0:39.9	And thankfully, we have Kingsley Wilson, press secretary for the Pentagon here to talk about
0:44.6	everything that you guys have been up to, everything that you might want to know.
0:47.9	And so I'm like, inside info if you're willing to share.
0:50.4	Plus, at the end of this episode, we have a very special announcement.
0:53.3	So make sure you stay until the very end.
0:55.4	This is Problematic Women.
1:06.9	Welcome back to Problematic Women.
1:08.3	I'm Elise McMichael.
1:10.6	I'm Virginia Allen. And Kingsley Wilson. We are so honored and privileged to have you with us. Thanks for taking the time. Yeah, thanks for having me, guys. I really appreciate it. They let you out of the Pentagon today. They did. It's nice to come here and get a little bit of a breather from that five-walled building. Well, you guys have not slowed down. We have watched as the government shut down.
1:29.3	So much came to a screeching halt.
1:31.1	But of course, the Pentagon is pretty essential.
1:33.7	What you guys do, pretty important.
1:35.9	You all have been hard at work, hitting the ground running.
	...

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