View Online Evening Report Friday, Feb. 21 | By Jonathan Easley TRUMP FIRST 100 DAYS © Virginia Mayo, Associated Press Hegseth moves to shake up the Pentagon DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH is moving to overhaul the Pentagon through steep budget and staffing cuts. Hegseth said Friday that a hiring freeze and an "aggressive" effort to fire civilian employees is on the way. "We're going to be thoughtful, but we're also going to be aggressive, up and down the chain," he said in a video posted on X. In a memo issued this week, Hegseth directed senior Pentagon officials and military leaders to plan for an 8 percent cut to the defense budget for each year over the next five years, which would amount to about $300 billion less in military spending. Reductions are aimed at the military command in Europe and the Middle East, while programs pertaining to nuclear weapons, submarines, attack...
