Hegseth Rages Over Bearded Sailors as 2018 TV Beard Episode Resurfaces

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 14

CNN reported Pete Hegseth grew angry after boarding a Navy ship and seeing multiple sailors with beards, questioning whether rank-and-file personnel were following his grooming directives.
September remarks at Quantico help explain the reaction: Hegseth told military commanders, "No more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression" and demanded stricter adherence to appearance standards.
The report highlights a gap between the defense secretary's push for tighter grooming rules and existing military practice, with sailors on the ship apparently still wearing facial hair.
A 2018 Fox News segment in which Hegseth's own vacation beard was mocked and shaved off live on air has resurfaced as a pointed backdrop to his current fixation on facial-hair rules.