Will Cain Country - Bonus Episode: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on President Trump’s Battle Against China’s Backyard Invasion

Episode Date: April 10, 2025

In this bonus episode of The Will Cain Show, Will sits down with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to break major news as the U.S. has secured a first-and-free military transit deal through the Panama Canal, which is a direct strike against Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere. Hegseth also details President Donald Trump’s promise to reinstate vaccine-refusing soldiers, the rising tension with China, and how strength, not appeasement, will define America’s foreign policy. Tell Will what you thought about this podcast by emailing [e-mail] Subscribe to The Will Cain Show on YouTube here: Watch The Will Cain Show! Follow Will on Twitter: @WillCain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joining me now is the defense secretary, Pete Heggsatz. Mr. Secretary, thank you for being with us today. Hey, Will. Thanks for having me. Talk to me about this, you bet. Always happy to have you here. Talk to us about this memorandum of understanding, this trip you just made to Panama, and the update you gave the president.

Tell us what it means to be first and free through the canal. Yeah, Will, you got it right. This is about malign Chinese influence. This is a power play by the Chinese in our backyard on what in the military we call key terrain. The Panama Canal is strategic key terrain. You mentioned the 40% are U.S. ships. Well, 75% of the traffic that goes through the Panama Canal either originates from or is going to a U.S. port. And you mentioned the history there of our investment. This is something we've been involved in for quite some time. And so we had a chance to go down there with a large

group of U.S. soldiers and ships and others to meet with their leadership and say, we want to help you remove Chinese influence. And thankfully, the leadership of Panama are eagle, eagerly pro-American. And they've demonstrated it already. They kicked out the Belt and Road Initiative. When Secretary of State Rubio was there a few months ago, they did an audit on the control of those Chinese ports, which unsubscribed, unsurprisingly, excuse me, had huge fraud inside them, and that's been exposed. And so those are up for sale and likely going to Black Rock, which again would take out away more Chinese influence. And we arrived with a simple message is we want to be your partner in securing this strategic piece of key terrain. And so working, they have a very unique

constitutional structure there, which we respect and understand. Part of it is an independent canal authority, and we work directly with them to put together a framework, which allows U.S. flagged military vessels and auxiliary ships to travel first and free through the Panama Canal, unlimited. We've got Coast Guard ships and Navy ships down there all the time. And that's separate from a memorandum of understanding I signed with their defense minister, their minister of security, which allows for additional U.S. troops on a rotational basis at Fort Sherman, which is an old U.S. Army base that will revive there along with the Panamanians, which is on one of the sides of the Panama Canal, along with a naval station and an air base. So we will rotate and partner with them,

and that's part of ensuring Chinese influence did not control that canal. It's in our direct U.S. interest will to ensure that waterway is free and that our ships can transit freely. So it was two historic arrangements that serve American interests and it would never have happened

without President Trump. Without President Trump saying this is important, China can't have it, China didn't build it, China won't operate it, this is key terrain for the U.S. and for Panama and we'll partner together to keep China out. I want to dig more in together to the national security implications and the rising tensions with China in just a moment.

But I want to stick with the economics for a second, Mr. Secretary. It's clear, especially clear in the last couple of days in the last week, the President Trump puts as a priority getting good deals for America, looking to renegotiate tariff deals with countries across the world. This is an essential, another art of the deal that we're working on here with the Panama Canal. So I want to go back to this idea of first and free. Tell us what the conditions were before this memorandum of understanding. Like, what is the wait time?

How do we go first in line? What did we pay in the past? How much are we now saving by going through free? It's a good point. Fees could vary in the past, depends on the size, depends on the cargo. Sometimes these are U.S. warships, sometimes they're auxiliary ships carrying supplies. So it depends on the, there's, we got a chance to watch huge container ships transits this canal.

viewers, it's a marvel of the world what Teddy Roosevelt, what Americans did a hundred years ago to bring the Panama Canal about. It's simply incredible. But it's also very, very strategic. If there was a contingency in, say, South China Sea, in the Indo-Pacific, and we needed to get our fleet or more assets from the east coast of the United States over there, you'd use the Panama Canal. We need to have the ability in a contingency to move to the front of the line immediately with as many ships as we need in order to transit as quickly as possible. Now, it happens on a regular basis. Our ships, Coast Guard, submarines, others traffic through.

And Panama's very good to us. Usually we're able to move up quickly, but this codifies first. And it codifies a cost-neutral basis where we're able to freely transit and it saves our treasury money as well. So it's got an economic upside on the art of the deal, but it's also. this is all very strategic. The Obama administration took their eye off the ball and let China just sweep in all over South and Central America with their economic and cultural influence, cutting deals with local governments for bad infrastructure and surveillance and indebtedness.

President Trump said, not anymore. We're taking our backyard back. That's why I was there for a conference of Central and South American countries as well. We're going to invest in ways that serve American interests in our backyard as we stop the sphere of Chinese. influence. First and free is a big signal of that. We want to thank the Panamanian government. They've been good partners, but rightfully so, it serves their interest to be partnered with America, not with China. The secretary is going to hang out with here for two segments today, in which we're going to dig in a little more to the national security implications and talk about how the Panama Canal is one small part of this bigger story between the United States and China. But while we have time

together here in this moment, Mr. Secretary, let's talk about this. Three U.S. Army soldiers to active duty following President Trump's executive orders. They've also been promised back pay. These were soldiers who were kicked out for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. I believe they might be the first to be reinstated to active duty. We're psyched. This is one of the promises made promises kept from President Trump. We have followed through at the Defense Department. If you were a person of conscience, a person of faith, who believe that you shouldn't have to take an experimental vaccine in order to serve in our military, we will apologize to you. We will recognize the wrong that's been done.

We will welcome you back with rank and back pay, and we want your service. So we've started it as quickly as possible, as you can imagine. Sometimes these things take a little bit of time to work out. All the letters are out to the folks who were pushed out, and we welcome them back as quickly and robustly as possible. These are some of our best and brightest. We were kicking out folks with 17 years in, 18 years in, 19 years in, saying, sorry, you won't take the jab. You can't serve. That was an outrage. President Trump got elected and immediately mandated us. So we're welcoming, in fact, here at the Office of Secretary of Defense, I hope to get to meet soon a number of these troops that have decided to come back in after we lifted that.

It's changed the whole environment. Like you can have, you can hold your religious beliefs and that view and serve as well, and that pertains to these COVID vaccines, and we welcome them. We're glad they're back. Well, recruiting the best and the brightest and making sure you're force-ready, prepared, and have the best at your hands and disposal, Mr. Secretary, I know it's been a big emphasis for you. We're going to talk about how that's going, what recruitment looks like for the United States military. And as promised, we have a lot to talk about when it comes to what I think is one of the biggest stories of our time, not just on the front of tariffs, but on military preparedness, and that is China.

It is time to take the quiz. questions in less than five minutes. We ask people on the streets of New York City to play along. Let's see how you do. Take the quiz every day at thequiz.com. Then come back here to see how you did. Thank you for taking the quiz. This is Jason Chaffetz from the Jason in the House podcast. Join me every Monday to dive deeper into the latest political headlines and chat with remarkable guests. Listen and follow now at Fox Newspodcast.com. Or wherever you download podcasts. Following Fox's initial donation to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, our generous viewers have answered the call to action across all Fox platforms

and have helped raise $6.5 million. Visit go.box forward slash TX flood relief to support relief and rebuilding efforts. We're going to continue our conversation with Defense Secretary Pete Hagseth. On this, a stunning new report reveals the Biden administration held private talks with Beijing about the Chinese spy balloon. He let fly across our country. Now, before notifying the public, this according to the readout, former Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told Chinese diplomats that if the balloon was revealed publicly, it could have, quote, profound implications for our relationship with China. Just remember, the balloon entered our U.S. airspace in January of 2023 before it was finally shot down a week later on February 4th. Let's bring back in the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegg said.

So Mr. Secretary, you hear me talking about this revelation that they knew the spy balloon was coming. They warned the Chinese this would be bad if it's ever revealed. And I think it leads you and I to a bigger conversation now about China. First, your thoughts. Well, that's the first I've heard of that story, Will. We've been in cabinet meetings and in and out of meetings today, but it doesn't surprise me from the previous administration.

I mean, this is the same administration in the same building where Mark Millie, was talking to his Chinese counterpart in real time saying, don't worry. We won't attack you. Don't worry. I mean, the types of things, the ways in which the Biden administration undermined U.S. national security are astounding. And now we know they didn't want to stop the spy balloon from flying, which is anyone with common sense who understands what the Chinese do to surveil us. I mean, we were talking about the Panama Camel. The cranes that the Chinese have on both sides of the canal are full of surveillance equipment. What do you think they're doing there? tunnel. They're building a tunnel underneath the canal. What do you think they're going to do

with that? They're going to use it to try to surveil. That's exactly what a spy balloon is meant to do. And the fact that we would know about it, permit it, and then try to hide it instead of addressing it is exactly the kind of weakness that now President Trump is having to undo. Establishing peace through strength by asserting American interests, not worrying about hand-wringing and do we offend anybody. This is our sovereign territory. Either we defend our southern border or we don't. Either we defend our skies or we don't. Either we defend strategic places like the Panama Canal or we don't. So no surprise here because the previous administration was doing stuff like that underneath the noses of the American people and we're

having to fix it, but we're proud to do it. It's an interesting dichotomy that you point out the relationship of the previous administration to China versus what we see now with this administration towards China. You make a good point in pointing out former Secretary of Defense or Joint Chiefs, Mark Millie, calling the Chinese to say he would warn them. Meanwhile, when you came back from Panama, after you made a statement in Panama, the Chinese Communist Party put out a statement that said, who represents the real threat to the canal? People will make their own judgment. And then, Mr. Secretary, as of today, the Indo-PACCOM commander, ours, said, quote, China's increasingly aggressive actions near Taiwan are not just exercises.

They are rehearsals. The temperature seems to be turned up now in this relationship with China. Well, Will, we're just, we're just clear-eyed. You just mentioned the Indo-Pacom commander, Admiral Paparo. One of our, he's a fighting admiral. He gets it. He's out in the Pacific defending American interests. He is poisoning our troops to deter. We don't want conflict. We do not see conflict with the communist Chinese. We don't. But we are prepared to achieve peace by being strong,

by asserting our own interests and standing by our own allies and rebuilding our own military. What I saw down in Panama, Will, was not just about a canal. Of course, the canal is very important and everything that goes through there. It was a tug of war with the communist Chinese. You're seeing it on the streets of Panama City right now. There are forces underneath their politics trying to pull down, President Molino, a pro-American, pro-Trump president who wants to work with America,

doesn't want to work with the communist Chinese. But the Chinese are trying to undermine that. They're trying to instill more insidious influence. Partners that countries that partner with America know that we play it straight with them. Know that we have our own interest. We put America first, but we work with allies and partners for mutually beneficial defense arrangements. That's not what China does. China exploits, and they want to export a very different view of the world.

world. And so Admiral Paparo is right. Our posture is decidedly strong and stout, but we're not seeking conflict. We're simply saying we think we can deter conflict by being strong. I heard what the communist Chinese said about our visit. It's not surprising, but it's not going to change our approach. You are prepared. Do you feel confident, though, and President Trump addressed this yesterday. He said he has a great relationship with Xi Jinping, whether or not we're talking about an escalating tariff war between the United States and China or this preparedness. You're talking about and a little bit of this rhetoric that we're hearing on both sides. Are you confident, though, that we will be able to allow cooler heads to prevail, be prepared, but find this deal,

find this coexistence with China? I think that's right. And President Trump emphasizes that at every turn, as he does with the Ayatollah and Iran and nuclear weapons, or as he does with Vladimir Putin and peace with Russia and Ukraine. We have a unique decider and commander-in-chief. who is very good at moving the Overton window, creating the art of the possible for the art of the deal that no one else saw coming. And sometimes it takes, he comes at it from a different angle

that folks don't understand to begin with. And then there's a quick pivot, and you've got to deal. And I think that's what we might see, and hopefully we'll see in Ukraine. Hopefully that's what we will see with Iran. No one seeks war with Iran. No one wants military action to prevent their pursuit of nuclear weapons,

but they can't have a nuclear weapon. And we do not seek conflict with communist China. That would be a terrible outcome. President Trump has a great relationship with Xi Jinping. They speak often. There's a mutual respect. And I think ultimately what President Trump wants to do is reestablish American manufacturing and not be taking advantage of.

And strength respects that. I think Xi Jinping recognizes that dynamic. These are good things for American power, for American interests, for our American economy, our American industrial base. So, no, I don't think this has to lead to conflict, and I really hope it doesn't. But my job at the Defense Department is to keep us prepared in the unfortunate case that it does. And I think that gives more cards to President Trump, and he's the ultimate dealmaker, and he'll take us in the right direction. I'm sure, and I want to acknowledge for the viewers that are watching that they think it's odd sometimes for the formality of the conversation between myself and the secretary, but it is the nature of our new jobs.

It doesn't preclude me from noticing that he's been working out with the troops. Me, I have to start working out very soon. I have a Navy SEAL swim ahead of me this summer, and I have a lot of work to do before being ready for that swim, which the Secretary knows well about the work involved in that and that particular enterprise. But there you are working out with the troops, Mr. Secretary. I've heard from the guys. I know what this does for morale, and we've seen what it's done now for recruitment.

In part, many different factors are going into this, but you guys have seen, we have the numbers that I think we can share, what's happened with recruitment in the military since. since you've taken over as the Secretary of Defense? Yeah, I mean, it's the Trump bump. It's the Commander-in-Chief, first and foremost. He's got the backs of our warfighters, and they know it. And so the young men and women of America are prepared to stand up. Look at those numbers.

They're historic over multiple decades. And I get to see them out, you know, whether it's Panama City, whether it's in Guam or Japan or the Philippines or on basis here in the U.S. or out in Germany and Poland, you look into the eyes of these young Americans who, were giving up the best years of their alive in a uniform to serve their nation, they are incredible. And those best moments are in the morning. You know, it's still not quite light out. We're out in formation, doing PT. You get to hear the real story. You get to thank them for what they do. You find out where they're from. And they know that I have been in their place not that

long ago. And that I want to have, just like the president, their best interest in mind, that we're going to have their back. We're going to let warriors be warriors. We're going to rebuild our military, reestablish deterrence. Make sure they're ready to go. everything that they need. It's an awesome responsibility. Well, you know, you and I talked a lot on and off air. We're friends. You know this is something that's meant a lot to me for a very long time, and it's a sober responsibility to make sure they're prepared. And when you look them in the eyes, you realize what it's all about. We can talk about the Panama Canal, and we can talk about the communist Chinese. None of that happens without the eyes of deterrence that are those men and

women that I see on these trips. They're why we do it. And I couldn't be more honored to lead them, and they got the best commander chief they could possibly have. I do know that's not an act. do know that's near and dear to your heart. It's not just near and dear to your heart. It's who you are. So I know all of that you just shared with us comes from the deepest of sincerity. Okay. I won't see you this summer in the Hudson. I've already asked. It takes too big of, it's too big of a security commitment. I'd have to dredge the Hudson. But, you know, I will see you soon in Washington, D.C. Thank you so much, Mr. Secretary. You're the man. Thanks, Will. Appreciate it.

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