Joe Scarborough Mocks Pete Hegseth's 'Stupid' Idea to End Military Flu Vaccine Mandate — After Defense Sec Backtracks Amid Outbreak
Pete Hegseth was slammed on 'Morning Joe' over his controversial flu vaccine decision.
June 24 2026, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
Joe Scarborough mocked Pete Hegseth for ending the flu vaccine mandate for troops mere months before an outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas led to a partial reversal of the decision, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On April 21, the Secretary of Defense announced the vaccination would now be optional in an effort to "restore freedom" to members of the U.S. military.
Pete Hegseth Ends Mandatory Flu Vaccine
Pete Hegseth lifted the mandate for military members to receive flu vaccines in April 2026.
"The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance, at all times, is just overly broad and not rational," Hegseth said in a statement at the time. "Our new policy is simple: If you, an American warrior entrusted to defend this nation, believe that the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you are free to take it; you should. But we will not force you."
"Our men and women in uniform were forced to choose between their conscience and their country, even when those decisions posed no threat to our military readiness," the statement continued. "That era of betrayal is over. Under President (Donald) Trump, the War Department continues to take decisive action to once again restore freedom and strength to our joint force. We're seizing this moment to discard any absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our warfighting capabilities."
Joe Scarborough Slams Pete Hegseth
Joe Scarborough called the idea of making military flu vaccines optional 'stupid.'
On the Wednesday, June 24, installment of Morning Joe, co-hosts Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski spoke out on Hegseth's sudden backtrack, noting that military recruits are now required once again to receive the flu vaccine.
"That didn’t last long, did it, Pete?" Scarborough asked, and Brzezinski replied, "No, not very long at all."
"Some ideas are so stupid that even they have to reverse them," Scarborough quipped.
More Than 200 Recruits Sick
Mika Brzezinski quipped Pete Hegseth's flu vaccine decision didn't last 'very long at all.'
ABC News recently reported there were more than 150 cases of the flu at Lackland, where Air Force Basic Military Training – also known as "boot camp" – takes place. Some patients had even been hospitalized at the time.
Since then, the number has reportedly jumped even higher, according to the Military Times.
"With more than 200 recruits sick with the flu, the Army, Navy and Air Force once again are requiring flu shots for basic trainees," Brzezinski said on Wednesday. "Don’t know why we had to learn this lesson."
"The army is preparing in the coming weeks to broaden that requirement to troops deploying overseas, first responders, child care workers, health care personnel, prison staff, and soldiers taking part in certain large scale training exercises," she added.
Pete Hegseth Faces Backlash From Critics on Social Media
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Some social media users criticized Pete Hegseth online.
As news of the flu outbreak at Lackland AFB spread, some critics on social media joined in on slamming Hegseth.
One X user wrote, "Pete discovers viruses do not respect vaccine freedom speeches," and a second person said, "Another Hegseth fail," as a third person jabbed, "Fire this guy."
An additional critic added, "Don't be like Pete Hegseth. Get your flu shot!"
