DOD’S ‘ANTI-TANK’ WAR: President Donald Trump is not a fan of think tanks, especially when they advocate for polices that collide with his gut instincts, which he has repeatedly claimed is part of his “genius.”
On Tuesday, in an Oval Office appearance with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Trump railed against what he called a “big study” that polled “great intellects and the great economists,” and insisted that of 71, “only two got it right, me, and another gentleman that happens to be very smart.” Trump provided no details of who did the study or how he came to be included in the group of “great intellects and the great economists,” but he was clear about his disdain for the Washington institution known as think tanks.
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“These think tanks … they build buildings for people that think, and it’s really not thinking,” Trump said, and then on second thought conceded. “It’s a little bit of combination of thinking, but it’s something you sort of have or you don’t have.” While it’s a little difficult to follow his line of thought, you get the idea. Think tanks are bad.
Now, Trump’s antipathy for think tanks that question or argue against his policies has spread to the Pentagon, which is moving to cut off engagement with any institution that doesn’t align with his MAGA agenda.
THE ASPEN SECURITY FORUM’S ‘EVIL GLOBALISM’: The first inkling of the new policy came last week when, on the eve of the annual Aspen Institute 2025 Security Forum, the Pentagon pulled all the scheduled panelists from the U.S. military or civilian leadership, forcing the group to scramble for new experts.
Among the senior leaders who had to cancel at the last minute were Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Gen. Bryan Fenton, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; and Navy Secretary John Phelan.
In a video appearance with Just The News, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson called the Aspen conference a “boondoggle” which featured an “elite class” that has “focused on the false ideology of globalism and that don’t put America first.”
“Bird watching at the Aspen security forum in Colorado isn’t something that our senior military leaders should be frequenting and attending,” Wilson said. “We need to be focused on lethality, putting our warfighters first and getting back to basics.”
“Gone are the days where we focused on things like climate change and pronouns,” she said.
PENTAGON WITHDRAWS SENIOR MILITARY LEADERS FROM NATIONAL SECURITY FORUM
SENIOR LEADERS MUZZLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: It turns out the Pentagon is considering banning all future participation in think tank and research events, according to an email obtained by and first reported by Politico.
For now, participation is suspended while the Pentagon public affairs office conducts “thorough vetting” of events invitation “in order to ensure the Department of Defense is not lending its name and credibility to organizations, forums, and events that run counter to the values of this administration,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Politico in an email.
Already, the Halifax International Security Forum, the premier gathering of security officials in the Western Hemisphere, has been banned, and it appears the Navy League’s Sea Air Space event, which takes place outside Washington, may also be ruled off limits.
Press secretary Kingsley Wilson basically confirmed the Politico story, reposting it on X, and gloated, “The days of ‘business as usual’ are OVER! … Going forward, no DOD official will attend events by America Last organizations that promote globalism and hate @POTUS!”
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Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
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HAPPENING TODAY: President Donald Trump is scheduled to leave at 8 a.m. for Aberdeen, Scotland. In addition to preparing for the opening of a new Trump golf course, the president will also squeeze in a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to talk trade.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called the Scotland swing a “working trip,” which runs through next Tuesday. In addition to Aberdeen, where Trump has operated a golf course since 2012, he also plans to check on Turnberry, the golf course and hotel he bought in 2014, located about 200 miles to southwest Scotland’s coast.
TRUMP’S SCOTTISH HOMECOMING COMPLICATED BY POSSIBLE PROTESTS AND ETHICS COMPLAINTS
WOKE WARRIOR CONFIRMED AS NO.2 AIR FORCE CIVILIAN: Four years after he was fired from command after an investigation into whether his comments while in uniform crossed the line into prohibited partisan political speech, Matthew Lohmeier was confirmed by the Senate 52-46 to serve as Undersecretary of the Air Force.
“Under the previous administration, Lt. Col. Lohmeier was removed for exposing the rise of Marxism and Critical Race Theory in our military,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X. “Today, he’s been confirmed as Under Secretary of the Air Force. I look forward to having him at the Pentagon.”
Lohmeier, a former F-15 pilot and Space Force veteran, met President Trump on the campaign trail and impressed him with his denunciation of DEI and woke generals, in an encounter on stage at a rally. “I was fired from my command and lost my pension for criticizing DEI trainings that were rampant in the military,” Lohmeier told Trump. “Thank you for saying you would fire those few woke generals who are a big problem. I’m going to suggest that it might in fact require ongoing oversight and a persistent consistent watchful eye within the Pentagon to ensure this monster never returns to the Defense Department.”
“They’re gone,” Trump said.
“Will you consider establishing a special task force office or position to ensure that these monsters never return?” Lohmeier pressed Trump.
“You know what I’m gonna do? I’m going to put you on that task force,” Trump replied. “You’re right about it, 100%”
REED: ‘YOUR RECORD … IS IN MY VIEW DISQUALIFYING’: During his confirmation hearing in May, Lohmeier faced pointed questioning from Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who expressed “deep concerns” about what he called Lohmeier’s “troubling conduct and uniform, extreme partisanship, and animosity towards military members with whom you disagree politically.”
“In 2021, while you’re an active duty Space Force lieutenant colonel in command of a large formation, you self-published the book titled Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest and the Unmaking of the American Military. The book argues that Marxism is rampant within the ranks and is leading to the collapse of our militaries and our society,” Reed said. “I’ve read much of your writing. Frankly, I would question your interpretation of Marxist. Nonetheless, I would make one point clear. I’m concerned that you have a misguided opinion of American military service members and their leaders.”
“Mr. Lohmeier, you posted the following on your X account on October 19, 2024, ‘If we are fortunate enough to see a Trump presidency once again, then there will be serious consequences for those senior leaders who have broken their oath, portrayed the trust, the American people, and participated in the hyper-politicization of the uniform services,’” Reed said. “Mr. Lohmeier, what did you mean by serious consequences for these officers? Many who are still serving and would be serving in the Air Force?”
“I have no vindictive spirit. I’m not interested in retribution, but I am interested, if confirmed, in looking forward and making sure we have proper accountability and high standards in the Department of the Air Force,” Lohmeier said. “What I was intending to say on that post was that I believe accountability matters, and that’s the spirit of what I was trying to get at. That was not intended to be retroactive or retributional in nature.”
“If you look at the context, particularly your comments since you left the service, they create an impression of someone committed to, frankly, reprisal, revenge, weeding out from the service those people who do not ascribe to your thoughts,” Reed said. “I find it very difficult that suddenly you will have this transition, this enlightenment that will disabuse you of all those notions.”
“I’m displeased with the cowardly behavior of many people, but I’ve never threatened anybody. I think that we have many great men and women in uniform, high and low, who all have the right to try their best to serve this country faithfully,” Lohmeier responded. “And I don’t necessarily agree with all of the decisions they make, but I’m not a vindictive person. I love all people. And I think that men and women in uniform will be very grateful to see me come back into service if I am confirmed.”
LOHMEIER: ‘I DON’T BELIEVE WITCH HUNTS ARE HEALTHY’: Lohmeier was also grilled by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), an Army veteran, about whether he understood that military officers are expected to salute smartly and carry out the policies of their civilian leaders, and shouldn’t face retribution for that.
“Sometimes service members have to serve against their own personal opinions. Circumventing commanders on the battlefield in real time could lead to life or death mistakes,” Duckworth said, quoting legendary Marine commander and former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. “Officers must carry out a policy to the best of their ability even when they might disagree with that policy.”
“You were relieved of command not for your beliefs, but for how you chose to express them on active duty while holding a position of authority over others. That is not persecution. That is accountability,” Duckworth said. “You could have resigned and spoken out or continued serving and kept your mouth shut, but instead you decided to continue serving and violate your professional ethics.”
“I will reject the idea that I did anything unlawful, unethical … I never publicly criticized my chain of command. I never publicly was politically partisan while acting in official capacity. And both of those allegations were the reasons I was relieved of my command, and I wasn’t found guilty of either of those things,” Lohmeier responded. “But I will say once again that I share this committee’s commitment to an apolitical military. I don’t believe witch hunts are healthy in the military. I think that unity is our strength. I believe that when we start to go down the path of discussing partisan politics and ideology, it divides men and women.”
“I am very deliberate in what I choose to say, I believe in what I say, and I also reserve the right to be wrong about things and to change my opinion about things,” Lohmeier said at one point. “I have nothing to hide. I try and speak what I believe to be true, and I’m happy to be corrected about things in which I’m mistaken.”
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THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Lawmakers on Capitol Hill split along party lines over how much power to cede to the Pentagon
Washington Examiner: Steve Witkoff ends Doha ceasefire talks early after ‘selfish’ Hamas proposal
Washington Examiner: Macron announces France will recognize Palestinian state at UN
Washington Examiner: Air Force command pauses use of M18 pistol after airman’s death
Washington Examiner: Russian children arrive in North Korea for ‘friendship camp’ in Songdowon
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Is Trump ready for Putin’s retaliation?
AP: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says defenses are holding firm against Russia’s summer push
Wall Street Journal: Israel’s 12-Day War Revealed Alarming Gap in America’s Missile Stockpile
New York Times: Israel and the U.S. Pull Back From Talks With Hamas
The War Zone: What Gun Will Bomber Crews Fly With Now That The Sig M18 Is Pulled From Use?
Air & Space Forces Magazine: US War Game in Pacific Tests New Air Mobility Comms Technology
Breaking Defense: ‘Lugged’ and Affordable: Air Force Seeks Industry Info on New Cruise Missile
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Acquisition, Ops Units Team Up for More Capable Satellites
THE CALENDAR:
FRIDAY | JULY 25
10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Strategic Imperatives: Augmenting Theater Nuclear Forces for 21st Century Deterrence,” with Greg Weaver, principal of Strategy to Plans LLC https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/strategic-imperatives
MONDAY | JULY 28
12 p.m. 1700 H Street N.W. — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group lunch discussion: “Artificial Intelligence and Democracy: Global Perceptions, Political Impacts and National Security Implications,” with Dritan Nesho, CEO, HarrisX, a Washington-based public opinion research, analytics, and strategy firm email RSVP: [email protected].
TUESDAY | JULY 29
9:30 a.m. SVC-217, U.S. Capitol — The Senate Armed Services Committee receives a CLOSED briefing on Operation Midnight Hammer. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov