US defence chief slams reporter over 'our boys' remark on B-2 bomber pilots

UPDATED: Jun 27, 2025 00:14 IST

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth engaged in a heated exchange with reporters during a fiery press conference following the US military’s successful bombing campaign on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The operation, which involved six 15-ton “bunker buster” bombs dropped by B-2 bombers, was hailed as a success by Hegseth, who praised both the mission and President Donald Trump.

However, it wasn’t long before Hegseth found himself on the defensive over the gendered language he used in earlier remarks.

During the Sunday morning briefing, Hegseth referred to the B-2 pilots as “our boys on those bombers,” a phrase that quickly caught the attention of The New York Times. In a live blog covering the event, the paper noted:

“In the briefing, Hegseth referred to B-2 pilots as ‘our boys on those bombers,’ yet both men and women have been trained to fly them.”

The tension escalated when an unidentified female reporter pressed Hegseth directly: “Why didn’t you acknowledge the female pilots that also participated in this mission? The early messages that you sent out only congratulated the boys.”

Hegseth responded sharply: “So when I say something like our boys and bombers — see, this is the kind of thing the press does, right?” he said.

“Of course, the chairman mentioned a female bomber pilot. That’s fantastic. She’s fantastic, she’s a hero. I want more female bomber pilots. I hope the men and women of our country sign up to do such brave and audacious things.” He continued, doubling down on his stance:

“But when you spin it as, because I say our boys and bombers as a common phrase, I’ll keep saying things like that, whether they’re men or women. Very proud of that female pilot, just like I’m very proud of those male pilots and I don’t care if it’s a male or a female in that cockpit and the American people don’t care.

But it’s the obsession with race and gender in this department that’s changed priorities, and we don’t do that anymore. We don’t play your little games.”

Earlier in the same presser, Hegseth also lashed out at his former Fox News colleague Jennifer Griffin, accusing her of being “one of the worst” when it came to giving Trump credit for the strike.

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