Rep. Jack Bergman took to Newsmax’s Wake Up America to blast the left’s recent rhetoric and behavior, arguing it does real damage to military morale and national cohesion. His comments came during a broader conversation about recruitment and the direction of American defense policy, and he didn’t mince words about the consequences of Democrat-fueled chaos.
Bergman pointed to improved recruiting numbers as proof that Americans respond to strength, not the social experiments and cultural confusion promoted by the other side. He echoed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent update about the Army’s recruitment gains, saying young people don’t want to join a “losing team” and are drawn to institutions that stand for pride and competence rather than performative politics.
His critique carries extra weight because Bergman is a retired Marine lieutenant general and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, not a media pundit looking for clicks. That experience gives him a clear line of sight into how leadership, tone, and policy translate into the all-important variable of troop morale.
This is where conservative common sense meets reality: national security thrives on clarity, order, and respect for those who serve. When elites indulge in partisan posturing or undermine institutions for short-term political gain, they don’t just score a rhetorical point — they put readiness and lives at risk. These aren’t abstract debates; they are the bedrock of deterrence and the reason our military exists.
Bergman also reminded viewers that strength is what convinces allies to carry their own share of the burden, and that perceived weakness invites aggression from adversaries. That argument isn’t warmongering; it’s strategic realism — a belief that America’s moral influence has always flowed from its might, not from self-flagellation or theatrical contrition.
Watching Democrats behave like petulant critics who’d rather score virtue-signaling points than secure victory is growing wearisome, but it’s also instructive. Voters can see which party will actually back the troops, fund readiness, and restore respect for service, and which will keep sowing doubt and disorder for political theater.
If the goal is a safer America and a military that recruits the best and most capable, policymakers must stop indulging in culture-war distractions and start delivering resources, clear missions, and leadership that commands respect. Bergman’s message is blunt: want a strong military? Support competence and courage, not chaos and capitulation.
For conservatives who care about the republic, Bergman’s intervention is a call to action: defend our institutions, stand behind our service members, and reject the destructive narratives that hollow out national confidence. The choice is simple — build strength, or watch influence and security decline.
