War Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer, spent Thanksgiving serving meals to Navy sailors stationed in Latin America aboard warships as part of the Southern Spear mission, which targets narco-terror networks across the region. In a video posted to X, Hegseth emphasized gratitude for the service of the sailors, noting that they were away from their families during the holiday. ‘These folks won’t be [with their families]—we’re going to bring them maybe a turkey and a little bit of cheer,’ he said.
Hegseth also addressed the recent attack that targeted two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., offering prayers for the victims and their families. ‘Our minds are also in Washington, D.C., with the two great Americans who were ambushed and targeted,’ he said. ‘And we’re prayerful for them, for all those around them, for their families.’
The Hegseths visited the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchil, according to the Department of War. In another video posted to X, the Hegseths were seen serving Thanksgiving plates to sailors, with Hegseth joking about his usual Thanksgiving traditions: ‘I give out too much candy at Halloween and too much turkey on Thanksgiving.’
Aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, Hegseth delivered an address to the crew, stating, ‘Happy Thanksgiving from me, the Secretary of War. Happy Thanksgiving from the President of the United States. Happy Thanksgiving from a grateful nation.’ He called the National Guardsmen a reminder of ‘the bravery and the selflessness of Americans who put it all on the line.’
Hegseth also referenced his recent criticism of certain service-related policies, including his call for troops to resign if they oppose his plan to scrap ‘woke’ policies and restore a traditional warrior ethos. ‘Whether it’s in our nation’s capital, walking patrol, or whether it’s in our nation’s hemisphere, out at sea, interdicting cartels, defending the American people— we are grateful for you,’ he said.
Closing his remarks with George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation, Hegseth added a prayer for all deployed forces, emphasizing the nation’s gratitude. ‘Godspeed, God bless, you are in our prayers, and we are grateful. Thank you. Thank you very much.’