Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told an audience at the U.S. Army War College that he got sage words of advice from President Donald Trump, who told him he'd have to be "tough as [expletive]."

"Boy," said Hegseth, "he was not kidding on that one." The Hill reported that personal note from Hegseth as he went off prepared remarks for the event at the college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

The Defense Department posted most of his remarks at the Army's strategic leadership program. Hegseth told the soldiers he's been working on their behalf so they can protect the US. "Fighting for you has been the privilege of a lifetime - a deployment of a lifetime," he said.

Hegseth told the Army's future command officers that his first 100 days at the helm of the Defense Department have been mission-focused. "And from day one — and each 100 of those days — our overriding objectives have been clear: restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence," Hegseth told them.

Some of the media furor over Hegseth's performance surrounding communications platforms was not mentioned in his remarks. But Hegseth did point out his organizational focus: "We are prioritizing what works and cutting what doesn't."

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