Hegseth, Pentagon pressured F-15 crew to appear in '60 Minutes' Iran rescue story, CNN reports
US Defense Secretary Hegseth and political officials reportedly pushed for the airmen to take part in the CBS program, while military officials raised concerns over security and political messaging.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his office exerted influence over two crew members from an F-15 jet brought down over Iran in April to appear on a 60 Minutes special. The crew members were initially hesitant to be interviewed. One expressed concerns about potential orders to participate, while military officials worried the interview could reveal classified information during ongoing hostilities with Iran.
Hegseth met with the hesitant crew member, who ultimately agreed to appear. The second crew member, a weapons systems officer, declined. The special went beyond a routine request for a TV interview, serving as an example of Hegseth's office attempting to influence public perception of the Iran conflict, which has become less popular among the public, putting pressure on the defense chief to highlight achievements.
Hegseth was unusually hands-on in the production, more so than usual for a US defense secretary. The Pentagon rejected CNN's claims, stating the decision to participate in the interview was up to each crew member.
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