Democrats hammered protection secretary nominee Pete Hegseth at his affirmation listening to on Tuesday, slamming the Fox Information host for his sexist views on girls in fight, his alleged sexual impropriety, his alleged ingesting on the job, and his unhealthy managerial expertise that led to his exit from two veterans charities.
Their powerful questioning got here as Republicans dealt with Hegseth with child gloves, defending him from accountability by limiting questions from senators and by permitting an exceedingly incomplete FBI report to face as enough for his affirmation.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia requested a number of the hardest questions of Hegseth throughout Tuesday’s listening to.
Kaine questioned Hegseth about his alleged infidelity, accusation of sexual assault, allegations from colleagues that Hegseth drank on the job, and the truth that Hegseth withheld details about these accusations from Donald Trump’s group through the interview course of for the position.
When Kaine requested Hegseth whether or not it is disqualifying to indicate up drunk at work, Hegseth did not reply and as an alternative falsely claimed these stories got here from nameless sources. In truth, one of many individuals who accused Hegseth of office impropriety was Jessie Jane Duff, a Marine veteran and former Trump marketing campaign official who in 2016 sought to get Hegseth eliminated as head of the Involved Veterans of America group, CBS Information reported.
When Hegseth instructed Kaine he’s “an open book,” Kaine scoffed, noting that Hegseth’s accusers are below “multiple nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements” which might be “tying the hands of many people who would like to comment to us.”
Kaine additionally introduced up that Hegseth has defied oaths he is taken prior to now, together with to be trustworthy to his wives—of which Hegseth has had three.
“You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife. I am shocked that you would stand here and say you’re completely cleared. Can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child that had been born two months before? And you tell us you were completely cleared?” Kaine mentioned.
Kaine refused to simply accept Hegseth’s excuse that the allegations towards him should not be believed as a result of they have been made anonymously, saying that among the many individuals who made the allegations towards Hegseth was his personal mom.
“You claimed that this was all anonymous. We have seen records with names attached to all of these, including the name of your own mother. So don’t make this into some anonymous press thing,” Kaine mentioned, principally accusing Hegseth of mendacity.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona constructed on that line of questioning, saying Hegseth’s excuses about his ingesting and sexual misconduct don’t add up
“Which is it—have you overcome personal issues, or are you the target of a smear campaign? It can’t be both. It’s clear to me that you’re not being honest with us or the American people because you know the truth would disqualify you from getting the job,” Kelly mentioned. “And just as concerning as each of these specific disqualifying accusations are, what concerns me just as much is the idea of having a secretary of defense who is not transparent.”
In the meantime, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a army veteran who misplaced each of her legs in fight in Iraq, quizzed Hegseth on fundamental details about the army, and Hegseth couldn’t reply.
Duckworth requested him to call one member of the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations and the connection america has with them. Hegseth couldn’t reply.
“I suggest you do a little homework,” Duckworth instructed Hegseth, later including “You’re not qualified, Mr. Hegseth.”
Sen. Gary Peters, Democrat of Michigan, introduced up the truth that Hegseth has no expertise managing huge organizations just like the Pentagon, and that confirming him can be akin to decreasing the requirements for the Division of Protection that Hegseth has railed towards.
“You talk about standards, you talk … that we have a problem of standards in the DOD, and that we have to raise standards for the men and women who serve. Do you think that the way to raise the minimum standards of the people who serve us is to lower the standards for the secretary of defense, that we have someone who has never managed an organization more than 100 people?” Peters mentioned.
Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren introduced up Hegseth’s previous misogynistic feedback. Particularly, on a Nov. 7 podcast, he mentioned, “I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.” Nevertheless, since being nominated by Trump, he has had a magical change in standpoint, saying that girls are certified for fight.
“What extraordinary event happened in that 32-day period that made you change the core values you had expressed for the preceding 12 years?” Warren mentioned.
However none of Hegseth’s previous feedback or conduct appeared to concern the Republicans on the panel, who requested softball questions and even defended Hegseth’s vile conduct.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma went so far as saying that as a result of some members of the Senate drink earlier than casting votes or have cheated on wives, that it’s okay that Hegseth has completed the identical.
“Sen. Kaine—or I guess I better use ‘the senator from Virginia’—starts bringing up the fact that ‘What if you showed up drunk to your job?’ How many senators have shown up drunk to vote at night? Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from your job?” Mullin said. “And then how many senators you know have gotten a divorce for cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down? No.”
The issue with Mullin’s logic is apparent: Simply because some senators have allegedly acted that method doesn’t render Hegseth’s alleged actions meaningless. Moreover, these lawmakers weren’t nominated to be secretary of protection.
In the end, Democrats laid naked how unqualified Hegseth is to steer the Pentagon.
However Republicans are set to verify Hegseth anyway, kowtowing to Trump’s demand that all of them roll over and settle for his deeply unprepared and corrupt nominees.
Godspeed to the Pentagon with this clown on the helm.
