MS NOW Military Analyst Backs Up Hegseth’s Spox in Feud With WaPo Over Iran Report: ‘It Is a Crime to Leak This Kind of Classified Info’

MS NOW Military Analyst Mark Hertling backed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s top spokesperson on Sunday after he accused a leaker to the Washington Post of committing a “crime” by sharing a confidential military report.

Hertling — a retired Army Lieutenant General — told Alex Witt he agreed with Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell, soon after Parnell slammed the report on X.

“Mr. Parnell is correct, it is a crime to leak this kind of classified information,” Hertling said.

He continued, “I know exactly where this information came from, because during my one tour in the Pentagon, I was involved in bringing the book to the secretary of defense, and certainly the combatant commanders do have the potential for non-concurs, as Mr. Parnell has said.”

Hertling shared his analysis following a WaPo report top military brass warned Hegseth “against extending Iran war operations.”

“A recent classified assessment advised that prolonged large-scale operations in the Middle East risk weakening U.S. capabilities elsewhere,” the report said.

Parnell bashed the report and the leaker(s) on X, saying “Publishing highly classified assessments from the Secretary’s orders book is a crime. It’s a betrayal of the force. And much of what they’re publishing is inaccurate.”

“Of course, we demand candid military advice,” Parnell added. “Non-concurs are standard. The Secretary sees them constantly. That’s how you run a real military. We are in great shape around the world. This story isn’t about readiness. It’s TDS and PDS — they hate President Trump and Secretary Hegseth more than they love America.”

Still, Hertling went on to tell Witt no matter how the information was obtained, he understands why some top generals are concerned.

“I can see some combatant commanders saying in their reports to the secretary, ‘We’ve got some trouble, because you are stripping us of resources.’ And it’s not just the ones we can see like the aircraft carriers.”

He added about the report, “Yeah, I’m troubled by it. And I haven’t seen the military be as pressured with so many complex problems and being stretched as thin as they are during my entire four decades in the military.”

“Oof,” Witt said, “that’s a statement right there.”

Watch above.

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