Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth has distinguished himself as President Trump's most pugnacious

cabinet member and is a leading advocate of the war against Iran.

He is also someone who is trying to reshape the military according to his own values and beliefs.

It's safe to say that the Pentagon has never seen a secretary of defense like him.

This Memorial Day weekend, a close look at

Hegst's turbulent time leading the world's most powerful military. Next.

This is Washington Week with the Atlantic. Good evening and welcome to Washington Week.

Here's something that I think is reasonable to state.

In previous presidencies, the weekend host of a cable television news and entertainment show

might very well be offered an interview with the Secretary of Defense. But it's hard to imagine

that he would be offered the job of Secretary of Defense. But this is what Donald Trump did when he chose Pete Hexeth for the role.

As you know, by the way, Hexeth has demanded to be called Secretary of War,

hearkening back to the title used in World War II and earlier.

But until Congress authorizes the name change, we will use the statutory title.

Hexeth has instituted so many other radical changes to the way the most powerful and

lethal military in the history of the planet is run that it is hard sometimes to rank these changes

in terms of their lasting impact. But we'll try tonight with my guests. Helene Cooper, a national

security correspondent at the New York Times. Jonathan Carl is the chief Washington correspondent for ABC News.

Bissy Ryan covers the Pentagon for the Atlantic,

and Vivian Salama is a national security correspondent at the Atlantic.

Thank you all for joining me.

I wanted to start actually on domestic politics,

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