Pete Hegseth, a Fox News anchor turned Secretary of Defense, summoned US military leaders from around the world to present a new, “anti-woke” vision for the military – one without transgender troops, “fat” generals, or beards. Then, he closed with a prayer. It’s all part of a long-running mission to end diversity measures and push forward a Christian nationalist agenda in the US armed forces.

The Take is nominated for the Signal Awards in the Best Daily Podcast category. While we wait for the judges' decisions, you can help us win the listeners' vote. Vote for The Take for Best Daily Podcast

In this episode:
Ben Makuch, National Security Reporter

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Sarí el-Khalili, and Haleema Shahwith Manny Panaretos, Duha Mosaad, Amy Walters, Farhan Rafid, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Kylene Kiang.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Pete Hegseth, a Fox News anchor turned Secretary of Defense, summoned US military leaders from around the world to present a new, &ldquo;anti-woke&rdquo; vision for the military &ndash; one without transgender troops, &ldquo;fat&rdquo; generals, or beards. Then, he closed with a prayer. It&rsquo;s all part of a long-running mission to end diversity measures and push forward a Christian nationalist agenda in the US armed forces.
The Take is nominated for the Signal Awards in the Best Daily Podcast category. While we wait for the judges' decisions, you can help us win the listeners' vote.&nbsp;<a href="https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2025/shows/genre/daily-podcast">Vote for The Take for Best Daily Podcast</a>
In this episode:
<ul>
<li>Ben Makuch, National Security Reporter</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Sar&iacute; el-Khalili, and Haleema Shah with Manny Panaretos, Duha Mosaad, Amy Walters, Farhan Rafid, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Kylene Kiang.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take&rsquo;s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera&rsquo;s head of audio.&nbsp;
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">X</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzGHKb8i9vTwjZkiFu6LhzsLUKFkYO60I">YouTube</a>

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.

With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.
With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.

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