More recently, at a Pentagon briefing two weeks ago, he turned on a reporter who asked if he had a clear objective for the war with Iran. Hegseth cut his eyes at her like a child starting a fight in the playground and snarled, “Did you not hear my remarks?” This was several days before he made his bellicose remarks about the Iranian regime – “they are toast, and they know it” – all of which suggests the former Fox News host has two basic settings: upbeat, bomb-’em-back-to-the-stone-age Dr Strangelove, and surly sixth grader. It is sometimes remarked that Hegseth has a leading man outline, but the evidence points more in the direction of weird character-actor energy; a sort of Max Headroom, all angles and glitches, and eye contact that lasts slightly too long.