Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has once again proven that the best response to political attacks is a well-timed receipt.
After former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took to social media to accuse him of being soft on Russia, Hegseth fired back with a devastating throwback photo—one that instantly reminded the internet of Clinton’s own history of cozying up to the Kremlin.
The image? A smiling Clinton, arm-in-arm with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, holding up the infamous “reset” button from 2009. That moment, meant to symbolize a fresh start in U.S.-Russia relations, has since become one of the most embarrassing miscalculations of her tenure at the State Department.
Hegseth’s post quickly went viral, racking up over 2 million views on X and earning praise from conservatives across the platform.
- Kingsley Wilson, Defense Department press secretary, called it an outright win: “Crooked Hillary just got OWNED.”
- Rasmussen Reports joked that Clinton might need medical attention after the brutal clapback, posting: “Call an ambulance …”
- Greg Price from the Trump White House Rapid Response Team summed it up in simple terms: “Total Secretary Hegseth W.”
The post has been reposted over 10,000 times, with 70,000+ likes and thousands of comments piling on. As of now, Clinton’s office has remained silent—no surprise there.
Clinton’s criticism stemmed from a recent Gizmodo report that claimed Hegseth had ordered U.S. Cyber Command to “stand down” on all Russia operations. The former secretary sarcastically remarked, “Wouldn’t want to hurt Putin’s feelings,” attempting to frame Trump’s administration as being aligned with Moscow.
But the Trump administration sees things differently. The real issue, they argue, isn’t Russia—it’s Ukraine. The White House has paused all military aid to Ukraine, demanding that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commit to peace talks before any more U.S. weapons are sent. The heated Oval Office meeting on Friday, where Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War Three,” only escalated tensions.
Wouldn’t want to hurt Putin’s feelings. https://t.co/rK69K8RCBD
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 2, 2025
Democrats have since seized on the moment to revive the old “Trump is soft on Russia” narrative, despite Trump’s previous administration being far tougher on Moscow than Obama’s. But Hegseth’s post serves as a brutal reminder of who was actually working to appease Russia—and it wasn’t Trump.
As always, Trump had his own take on the situation. Rather than entertain the left’s Russia obsession, he pivoted to what he believes Americans should really be worried about:
“We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our Country – So that we don’t end up like Europe!”
No mincing words there.
