Pentagon Denies Defense Secretary Chewed Gum at Solemn Troop Ceremony
The Pentagon has firmly denied allegations that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was chewing gum on Wednesday ahead of a dignified transfer ceremony for six American service members who died in the ongoing Iran war. This denial came after Hegseth was filmed appearing to chew as he arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
"This reporting is inaccurate," the Defense Department stated in response to inquiries from The Daily Beat reporter. The ceremony honored the arrival of six fallen crew members who perished in a KC-135 refueling plane crash over Iraqi airspace the previous week.
Fallen Heroes Remembered
The six service members aboard the aircraft were identified as Maj. John A. Klinner, Capt. Ariana G. Savino, Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, Capt. Seth R. Koval, Capt. Curtis J. Angst, and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons. Retired Lt. Col Ernesto Nisperos, who knew one of the victims, paid tribute in a message to The Associated Press.
"Every person on that aircraft carried a weight most Americans will never see, and they carried it with professionalism, courage, and a level of quiet excellence that deserves to be recognized," Nisperos said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accompanied President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson to the ceremony, which was closed to media at the request of the families, though the White House later released photographs on social media platform X.
Military Investigation Underway
The military is currently investigating the cause of the plane crash, with officials confirming it was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. This incident adds to the growing toll of the Iran conflict, which has now claimed 13 U.S. service members and injured approximately 200 others.
Meanwhile, the USS Gerald R Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, has departed for Crete to undergo repairs following a series of mechanical issues, including an onboard fire.
Previous Ceremony Controversy
This latest ceremony follows criticism of the Trump administration's handling of a previous dignified transfer earlier this month for soldiers killed in a drone attack in Kuwait—the first U.S. fatalities in the Iran war. President Trump was photographed wearing a white baseball cap emblazoned with "USA" letters, which many viewed as disrespectful.
Fox News faced scrutiny for accidentally airing old footage of Trump at a different ceremony during their coverage, which the network attributed to an inadvertent error. However, online speculation suggested it might have been an attempt to shield the president from criticism.
Further controversy erupted when a political action committee supporting the president used a photo from the ceremony in a fundraising email, sparking renewed outrage.
Internal Dissent Grows
The administration is confronting increasing criticism of the war effort, including from within its own ranks. Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned this week, stating that Iran posed no "imminent threat" to the United States.
During Senate testimony on Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declined to comment on whether intelligence officials had determined Iran was an imminent nuclear threat prior to the war. Her written statement indicated that Iranian nuclear capabilities had been destroyed during U.S. strikes the previous year, adding complexity to the ongoing debate about the conflict's justification.
