Hegseth Uses Photo To Respond To Social Media Post
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth didn’t mince words in his response to Hillary Clinton’s latest political jab, firing back after the twice-failed Democratic presidential candidate accused him of “cowering to Vladimir Putin.” Clinton’s attempt to smear Hegseth came after reports surfaced that the Trump administration had ordered U.S. Cyber Command to “stand down” on Russia-related operations—a decision Hegseth defended as a strategic shift, not a sign of weakness.
Clinton’s attack came via social media, where she shared an article from Gizmodo suggesting that the U.S. no longer viewed Russia as a major cyber threat. The report, citing anonymous sources, claimed that Hegseth had ordered Cyber Command to halt all offensive planning against Russia while maintaining separate intelligence-gathering operations through the NSA. Clinton added her own snide commentary, writing: “Wouldn’t want to hurt Putin’s feelings.”
Wouldn’t want to hurt Putin’s feelings. https://t.co/rK69K8RCBD
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 2, 2025
Hegseth wasted no time in firing back. His response? A perfectly timed reminder of Clinton’s own failed diplomacy with Russia. He posted a now-infamous photo of then-Secretary of State Clinton pressing the “reset” button with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in 2009—an event that quickly turned into a diplomatic embarrassment when the word “reset” was mistranslated into Russian as “overcharge.”
Hegseth’s message was clear: Clinton, who once championed the "reset” with Russia, now has the audacity to accuse others of being soft on Moscow. The hypocrisy practically writes itself.
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) March 2, 2025
Beyond the political theatrics, Hegseth defended his decision to reassess America’s cyber posture toward Russia, arguing that reckless confrontation does not equate to smart strategy. The Trump administration’s approach, he maintained, prioritizes measured deterrence over knee-jerk aggression.
Instead of blindly continuing past cyber policies, Hegseth is taking a broader view of national security—one that focuses on real threats, not partisan narratives.
Clinton, meanwhile, has a long history of shifting positions when it suits her. In 2014, she told NPR that the Russian reset had "worked.” Just days later, she reversed course on CNN, suddenly claiming she was “the most skeptical” of the policy. That kind of political double-talk is exactly why many Americans have lost trust in the establishment’s foreign policy wisdom.