Sec of War Pete Hegseth

#AFRICOM, in continued coordination with Nigeria, conducted kinetic strikes against ISIS fighters in NE Nigeria on May 17. No U.S. or Nigerian forces were harmed. Full press release: africom.mil/pressrelease/3… #AFRICOM #Nigeria #CounterTerrorism

Never back down. #AmericaFirst

I visited the San Diego and El Centro border sectors to meet with the soldiers and Marines who are locking down the southern border. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, and the work of Joint Task Force Southern Border, our border is more secure than ever. DoW National Defense Areas 4 & 5 are positioned directly across from major narco-terrorist strongholds in Mexico. Every day, Task Force Leviathan (San Diego) and Task Force Ram (El Centro) are disrupting drug and human trafficking operations, preventing illegal migrant crossings, and using advanced technology to detect and defeat drones.

Today, 17 countries pledged to join the Department of War with the moral mission of eradicating cartels and their enablers throughout the Western Hemisphere. SecWar @PeteHegseth is leading a once in a lifetime movement with military power to bring death to narco-terrorists.

Welcome home USS Gerald R. Ford, USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan! After a historic 11-month deployment across four different areas of operation, our Sailors have returned to Naval Station Norfolk.

“GOOD RIDDANCE! After 15 years of Dumocrats promising that “Climate Change” is going to destroy the Planet, the United Nations TOP Climate Committee just admitted that its own projections (RCP8.5) were WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!” - President DONALD J. TRUMP 🇺🇸

It was an honor to host Indonesian Defense Minister @sjafriesjams at the Pentagon today. I was proud to announce that we are elevating our relationship to a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership, in recognition of the strength and potential of our bilateral defense ties.

JUST ANNOUNCED: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is set to speak at Rededicate 250. May 17 • 8 AM ET • National Mall Join Americans from every state to give thanks for 250 years, pray for the future, and rededicate our nation as One Nation under God. RSVP for this once-in-a-lifetime moment! 🇺🇸

Under the previous administration, the Department of Defense’s financial reporting was a disaster — and had been for far too long. That ends today—the WAR DEPARTMENT will deliver a clean audit for our 2028 financial statements.

Maj. Ryan Reynolds and Maj. Edwin Stanfield exemplify the very best of our nation. On November 26, 2025, they showed extraordinary courage when Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe were attacked in Washington, D.C. We honor their service. 🇺🇸

Thanks to President Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense budget, this War Department has moved from bureaucracy to business. This is a FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT in our Arsenal of Freedom—ensuring our military remains the most lethal fighting force in the world.

A nation worth fighting for is a nation worth praying for. Rededicate 250 on Sunday, May 17, will bring patriots from every state together on the National Mall under one flag and one God. RSVP for Sunday, May 17, in Washington, DC: f250.digital/pray

Last night U.S. forces, in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and other ISIS leaders. Back in November 2025, President Trump declared to the world that we will help protect Christians in Nigeria and instructed the Department of War to prepare for action. So, for months, we hunted this top ISIS leader in Nigeria who was killing Christians, and we killed him—and his entire posse. In conjunction with Nigeria’s President, and at the direction of President Trump, U.S. Africa Command oversaw a precise operation to remove this terrorist. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was the senior ISIS General Directorate of Provinces Emir — the number two for ISIS globally — responsible for overseeing the planning of attacks, directing hostage-taking and managing financial operations. The removal of him and other ISIS personnel makes Americans safer by further degrading ISIS’s ability to plan and carry out attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, American citizens, and innocent civilians. Operations like last night’s demonstrate the exceptional lethality, patience and skill of U.S. forces, amplified alongside willing and capable partners, to address shared threats. This should serve as a reminder that we will hunt down those who wish to harm Americans or innocent Christians, wherever they are.