Respect is hard to come by in President Donald Trump’s administration.
The public has watched how he treats his Cabinet members, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who experienced it firsthand.
Not even a position of authority can incentivize people to admire the president’s battalion of advisers.
He served as an officer in the U.S. Army National Guard for 14 years before retiring as a major in March 2021. He joined Fox News as a contributor in 2014 and remained with the network until 2024.
Trump recruited Hegseth directly from Fox News in late 2024, and Hegseth took the oath of office as Defense chief on Jan. 25, 2025.
His formal title, role in the president’s Cabinet, and influence on the military have only made him the butt of jokes.
Hegseth’s attempt to overhaul military physical standards backfires every time he joins soldiers for a workout.
Jokes about him being out of breath, lifting minimal weight with bad form, or struggling with an exercise are endless.
Even worse, Hegseth’s sometimes fidgety mannerisms, like wiping his nose and then immediately touching his hair, have fueled speculation about his sobriety.
Some people call him a “DUI Hire” and “Kegsbreath.” Some of his former Fox News colleagues came forward in 2024 and told NBC News that Hegseth’s drinking had raised concerns before he joined Trump’s Cabinet.
So it comes as no surprise to critics that another administration official doesn’t generate much admiration. In fact, colleagues, subordinates, and the public perceive the person as a joke.
A humiliating Daily Mail report alleges that Trump and his crew have a new leaked text message scandal on their hands, and not one of them is laughing.
Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle is at the center of the embarrassing leak that exposed the derogatory nickname some Army staff members reportedly use for him.
Telle has been filling in as Army secretary since Dan Driscoll left his post in September. Driscoll is a former Army lieutenant. Trump has not named an official nominee for the gig.
Telle is a civilian, and his lack of military experience is a major hang-up.
“He’s never served a f-ing day in uniform,” a purported Army official told the Daily Mail. “So, you know, affectionately or unaffectionately, he’s called ‘Big P—y ’ by some of the Army staff, which is kind of hilarious.”
The derogatory nickname was reportedly shared in a group chat titled “BigP[cat emoji] updates.”
An unflattering photo of Telle in a pair of khaki slacks and a blue button-up inspired the nickname. An obvious bulge in his midsection and his crotch area are at the center of mockery.
A heckler quipped, “Would he pass the Army height to waist ratio?” A response read, “If they stopped measuring waist size at his neck, maybe.”
“What happened to ‘no fatties’?” a third observer asked.
This summer, Hegseth posed for a photo with Kyle Rittenhouse and faced a wave of criticism for sporting a swollen stomach and tight-fitting suit.
His figure wasn’t exactly the example of physical fitness that he pushes on soldiers, and people took notice.
Last month during a defense meeting at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Hegseth declared that the U.S. military would have “no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors.”
“The ideological clowns are out. The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top,” he added.
Hegseth issued a memo in July announcing mandatory testosterone testing for servicemen ages 30 and older.
According to him, “It’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity, and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight.”
He was mercilessly mocked and nicknamed “Low T Pete.” Yet another reminder to Hegseth that the public views him as “GI Joke.”
However, Telle apparently contradicts the secretary’s vision.
A source from the Pentagon claimed, “The photo and the pushback on the firing squad earned him the nickname that’s going around: Big P—y.”
Other descriptions of Telle include “swamp creature” and “hill rat.” A crass pile-on also included “I’d call him Shrimp dic.”
Last month, a Daily Beast report revealed that Army heroes dubbed Hegseth “No Tab Pete” a reference to his lack of elite qualification tabs, such as Ranger, during his military service.
