‘Changes Are Needed’: Pete Hegseth Just Officially Booted Susan Rice from the Pentagon

Former U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, who was a key figure in the administrations of three Democratic presidents and who has since continued serving on an advisory board at the Pentagon, got her latest marching orders this week.

In a move that at least one liberal media outlet called a “purge,” all members of the Defense Policy Board and other Pentagon advisory boards were informed that their services would no longer be required.

The Department of Defense published a terse, two-paragraph statement announcing the change Thursday.

“Secretary Hegseth appreciates the members’ efforts on behalf of the department and the United States of America, but changes are needed to support the new strategic direction and policy priorities of the department and to ensure departmental resources are used efficiently.”

In a Wednesday memo addressed to “senior Pentagon leadership,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided a bit more detail.

“To support the new strategic direction and policy priorities of the Department, we require fresh thinking to drive bold changes,” he wrote.

The Defense Policy Board “included several members of the foreign policy establishment, such as former Barack Obama aide Susan Rice, and former George W. Bush Pentagon under secretary Eric Edelman, who have previously argued for wars in the Middle East,” The Intercept said in its report.

Even though former President Joe Biden’s Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, had ordered a similar action during his tenure, The Intercept — a left-leaning news outlet — linked the latest DOD action to an interview that former Fox News broadcaster Tucker Carlson did with former Hegseth aide Dan Caldwell.

Caldwell was placed on administrative leave last week over information leaks.

Dan Caldwell was one of the strongest voices at the Pentagon opposing war with Iran. Then he was falsely accused of leaking classified documents and fired.

(0:00) Introduction
(1:10) What Would Happen if the US Went to War With Iran?
(9:13) The Real Reason the US Invaded Iraq… pic.twitter.com/JUktfTIySd

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) April 21, 2025

In the interview with Carlson, Caldwell maintained that he had been falsely accused of being the source of leaks and pointed to Rice as a possible suspect.

The interview “racked up millions of views on X and was amplified by right-wing influencers such as retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn,” according to The Intercept’s report.

Flynn did indeed posts about the revelation regarding Rice’s ongoing Pentagon involvement.

One such post was by legal expert and educator Hans Mahncke, who wrote, “The fact that Susan Rice, Colin Kahl, Michele Flournoy and other entrenched DC insiders and operatives still sit on the Defense Policy Board—which supposedly exists to advise the Secretary of Defense—is a perfect example of the deeper corruption in Washington.

“Obviously, Pete Hegseth isn’t going to take defense policy advice from Susan Rice, so some might shrug it off. And sure, it might not influence Hegseth directly but it absolutely matters when it comes to how the DC establishment keeps the whole racket going.

“These boards exist mainly to hand out titles and a veneer of credibility that people like Rice can leverage for jobs, board seats, speaking gigs, and appointments, for instance with military contractors,” Mahncke asserted.

“More importantly, they keep these figures in the loop—lingering on the edges of power until the next president gives them another turn on the merry-go-round. (It’s the same with security clearances, which for some inexplicable reason aren’t revoked the moment someone leaves office.)”

Why does Susan Rice still have a security clearance? https://t.co/DTQNUo02Kf

— General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) April 22, 2025

Mahncke concluded in his X post, “If you’re serious about changing Washington, you have to break up their ecosystem. Don’t just kick them off the boards. Get rid of all these boards entirely. There’s no legitimate purpose for a corrupt credential mill handing out fake titles just to keep these people in the game.”

Flynn commented when he reposted Mahncke’s remarks, “Why does Susan Rice still have a security clearance?”

Rice served in various capacities with the Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations, but conservatives may remember her most for her role in the disastrous attack on an American diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012, in which a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were brutally killed by a mob.

Rice was one of those who attempted to perpetuate the false notion that the mob formed spontaneously and unexpectedly to protest the release of a movie that insulted the Prophet Muhammad.

Here’s a recounting of the incident prior to me quitting CBS News where I caught certain Evening New managers in a shocking and unethical scheme to mislead the public in support of President Obama just before the 2012 election.
By way of brief background:
The 9/11/2012 Benghazi… pic.twitter.com/99XDlfTdbL

— Sharyl Attkisson 🕵️‍♂️💼🥋 (@SharylAttkisson) October 9, 2024

“This was apparently to deflect criticism weeks before the [2012] election that the Obama administration had failed to respond to the terrorist threats and had denied appropriate security to our diplomats,” former CBS correspondent Sharyl Attkisson said.

The journalist wrote about the incident and subsequent cover-up in a book called “Stonewalled.”

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