The media’s love for Republicans who become Democrats is not confined to the Trump era. Before the Trump era there was former GOP senator-turned Obama Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and he joined CNN International/PBS anchor Christiane Amanpour on Thursday’s Amanpour and Company to discuss current Secretary Pete Hegseth’s record as a wartime leader. As Amanpour invented a non-existent scandal about executing prisoners of war, Hagel alleged the U.S. is “manufacturing a whole new generation of young terrorists in the Middle East.”
Amanpour set the scene by asking, “Since Secretary Hegseth has talked about, you know, I'm going to paraphrase, but useless rules of engagement, are you concerned about them going even further off the reservation? Not just conducting a military campaign, but one that could be—you know, could have like the whole business of 'we will take no quarter,' which means not saving and perhaps executing prisoners.”
Pete Hegseth was clearly talking about the pace of air operations and not executing prisoners, but CNN/PBS's Christiane Amanpour still asks former GOP Senator/Obama SECDEF Chuck Hagel, "are you concerned about them going even further off the reservation? Not just conducting a… pic.twitter.com/nn4rSgCDc5
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) March 20, 2026
Hegseth’s comments about “no quarter” were clearly about the pace of air operations over Iran and not about executing POWs—because we have none in this solely air and naval war—or killing anyone who has surrendered.
Nevertheless, Hagel huffed, “Oh, sure. I mean, this crowd does not comply with any guidelines or rules or laws. I mean, all you need to do is, once again, reflect on what the president himself said when he was asked about when the war is going to end. And his response was, ‘Well, when I say it's going to end,’ and they, well, how do you know that? And he said, ‘Well, I just—my instincts will tell me when it's ready to end.’ Are you kidding me? No president has ever done anything like this.”
Hagel then uncorked a wild one, “One of the things that is going to occur here and the results, consequences of what's going on is that we are manufacturing a whole new generation of young terrorists in the Middle East. That's just one consequence of what's coming here. And I too am concerned with your question to me about engagement and rules and international norms and how we deal with prisoners.”
What does that even mean? If there is anyone who should be worried about their reputation in the Middle East, it is Iran because it is Iran that is bombing seemingly every country in the Middle East. As for PBS, if it ever wants that federal funding back, it would be wise for it to stop inventing non-existent war crimes.
Here is a transcript for the March 19 show:
PBS Amanpour and Company
3/19/2026
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Since Secretary Hegseth has talked about, you know, I'm going to paraphrase, but useless rules of engagement, are you concerned about them going even further off the reservation? Not just conducting a military campaign, but one that could be—you know, could have like the whole business of “we will take no quarter,” which means not saving and perhaps executing prisoners.
CHUCK HAGEL: Oh, sure. I mean, this crowd does not comply with any guidelines or rules or laws. I mean, all you need to do is, once again, reflect on what the president himself said when he was asked about when the war is going to end. And his response was, “Well, when I say it's going to end,” and they, well, how do you know that? And he said, “Well, I just—my instincts will tell me when it's ready to end.” Are you kidding me? No president has ever done anything like this.
One of the things that is going to occur here and the results, consequences of what's going on is that we are manufacturing a whole new generation of young terrorists in the Middle East. That's just one consequence of what's coming here. And I too am concerned with your question to me about engagement and rules and international norms and how we deal with prisoners.
