FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AMERICA'S FLOUNDERING GLOBAL LEADERSHIP CRISIS, MILITARY POWER, DIPLOMACY IN A CHANGING WORLD
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF SEP 15 2026 POLARIS-LIVE
(This is a Complimentary Copy)
With Guest:
Secretary CHUCK HAGEL
Hosted by: Sarwar Kashmeri
September 15, 2026
Overview
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel delivered a sobering assessment of American leadership at a moment of extraordinary global change. Hagel argued that the United States is suffering not simply from foreign-policy setbacks, but from a deeper crisis of leadership, institutional trust and political cohesion.
Drawing on lessons from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan and on his experience in the Senate and Pentagon, Hagel warned against allowing military power to substitute for diplomacy. America’s armed forces, he stressed, should support the nation’s diplomatic strategy—not lead it. “Easy to get into war, not so damn easy to get out of war,” he observed.
Hagel remains confident that America can produce a new generation of leaders capable of meeting the moment. But he cautioned that the international system has fundamentally changed. America may repair damaged relationships with allies, but it cannot simply recreate the post-World War II order. “We’re not going backwards,” he said. U.S. leadership must instead adapt to the realities of the mid-21st century.
Key Takeaways
- America faces a leadership and confidence crisis. Hagel said declining trust in government and major national institutions has created a leadership vacuum. History gives him confidence that new leaders can emerge, but he emphasized that this is not guaranteed.
- Congress must exercise its constitutional authority. Responding to questions from serving U.S. military officers, Hagel emphasized Congress’s responsibility to oversee the executive branch and the Defense Department. In his view, Congress has not exercised that authority forcefully enough.
- The U.S. military must remain apolitical. Hagel strongly defended the tradition of an armed forces committed to the Constitution rather than a political or religious agenda. For military personnel confronting actions they believe are wrong or unlawful, he acknowledged the profound moral dilemma while urging those who can to remain and preserve the institution.
- Diplomacy—not the Pentagon—should lead American foreign policy. Military strategy without diplomatic strategy, Hagel argued, repeats lessons the United States should have learned in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. “The Defense Department should never lead in anything,” he said. “That’s the diplomatic arm. It’s the State Department.”
- America cannot lead by isolating itself. Hagel linked tariffs, deteriorating alliances and military interventions to a broader erosion of U.S. influence. Meanwhile, he noted, China is expanding relationships around the world through trade and economic engagement rather than emphasizing military power.
- The old alliance system cannot simply be restored. Hagel said foreign officials increasingly question whether they can rely on Washington over the long term. The United States can rebuild and improve its relationships, he believes, but “we won’t rebuild it the same way.” The world has changed, and American strategy must change with it.
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America’s greatest threat may be internal. Hagel agreed that the enormous cost of servicing the national debt threatens U.S. security, but added an even more fundamental danger: domestic division, lack of leadership and America’s self-inflicted isolation from friends and allies. “No other country is doing it to us,” he said. “We’re doing it to ourselves.”
Bottom Line
- America faces a leadership and confidence crisis. Hagel said declining trust in government and major national institutions has created a leadership vacuum. History gives him confidence that new leaders can emerge, but he emphasized that this is not guaranteed.
- Congress must exercise its constitutional authority. Responding to questions from serving U.S. military officers, Hagel emphasized Congress’s responsibility to oversee the executive branch and the Defense Department. In his view, Congress has not exercised that authority forcefully enough.
- The U.S. military must remain apolitical. Hagel strongly defended the tradition of an armed forces committed to the Constitution rather than a political or religious agenda. For military personnel confronting actions they believe are wrong or unlawful, he acknowledged the profound moral dilemma while urging those who can to remain and preserve the institution.
- Diplomacy—not the Pentagon—should lead American foreign policy. Military strategy without diplomatic strategy, Hagel argued, repeats lessons the United States should have learned in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. “The Defense Department should never lead in anything,” he said. “That’s the diplomatic arm. It’s the State Department.”
- America cannot lead by isolating itself. Hagel linked tariffs, deteriorating alliances and military interventions to a broader erosion of U.S. influence. Meanwhile, he noted, China is expanding relationships around the world through trade and economic engagement rather than emphasizing military power.
- The old alliance system cannot simply be restored. Hagel said foreign officials increasingly question whether they can rely on Washington over the long term. The United States can rebuild and improve its relationships, he believes, but “we won’t rebuild it the same way.” The world has changed, and American strategy must change with it.
- America’s greatest threat may be internal. Hagel agreed that the enormous cost of servicing the national debt threatens U.S. security, but added an even more fundamental danger: domestic division, lack of leadership and America’s self-inflicted isolation from friends and allies. “No other country is doing it to us,” he said. “We’re doing it to ourselves.”
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