To keep away from publicly contending with the truth that protection secretary nominee Pete Hegseth is clearly unqualified to run the Pentagon, Senate Republicans plan to restrict questioning at his Tuesday affirmation listening to and settle for an insufficient FBI report that did not interview individuals who have accused Hegseth of improper and even unlawful conduct.
Armed Companies Committee Chair Roger Wicker, the Republican operating Tuesday’s listening to, mentioned he’ll restrict Senators to only one spherical of questioning—which may be sure that not all of Hegseth’s alleged dangerous conduct might be litigated in the course of the recommendation and consent course of.
What’s extra, Republicans are nice with the truth that, on the behest of Donald Trump’s incoming administration, the FBI didn’t interview individuals who have accused Hegseth of sexual assault or impropriety, resulting in a wildly missing report.
And Hegseth by no means tried to fulfill with Democrats on the Armed Companies Committee, which is in control of Hegseth’s affirmation listening to.
Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a fight veteran who misplaced each of her legs whereas serving in Iraq, instructed Time journal that Republicans lied after they blamed scheduling conflicts for making Hegseth unable to fulfill with Democrats on the committee.
“[T]here’s no scheduling conflict. I have the receipts,” Duckworth instructed Time. “I have an email dated Dec. 18 where his team gives me the date of the week of Jan. 19,” which is after the affirmation hearings.
“He was never planning on meeting with the Democrats prior to this. And we’ve made ourselves more than available,” she added. “So no matter they’re telling you is a fib. “
Hegseth has been credibly accused of sexual assault, was slammed by his personal mom for his therapy of ladies, has been accused of getting an alcohol drawback, and was pressured to step down from two veterans charities as a result of he allegedly mismanaged funds, sexually harassed colleagues, and was intoxicated on the job.
Democrats are aghast at their GOP colleagues for ramming via Hegseth’s affirmation listening to whereas ignoring that Hegseth is totally unqualified for the job.
“There are significant gaps and inadequacies in the report, including the failure to interview some of the key potential witnesses with personal knowledge of improprieties or abuse,” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut instructed The New York Instances.
And Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, rating member of the Senate Armed Companies Committee, mentioned in his opening remarks at Hegseth’s affirmation listening to that Hegseth’s private conduct disqualifies him from the position.
“Mr. Hegseth, I don’t consider that you’re certified to fulfill the overwhelming calls for of this job,” Reed mentioned. “We must acknowledge the concerning public reports against you. A variety of sources, including your own writings, implicate you with disregarding the laws of war, financial mismanagement, racist and sexist remarks about men and women in uniform, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other troubling issues. I have reviewed many of these allegations and find them extremely alarming. Indeed, the totality of your own writings and alleged conduct would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the secretary of defense.”
Shortly after Trump received the 2024 election, Democrats feared Republicans would enable him to bypass the Senate affirmation course of for his Cupboard picks and set up his nominees via a course of often known as recess appointments.
However despite the fact that Republicans are permitting affirmation hearings, it seems Republicans will make sure the hearings are so cursory and undemanding that they might as effectively have been recess appointments.
It is attainable Republicans are rolling over so quick as a result of Trump’s MAGA backers have spent a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} to attempt to declare the credible allegations towards Hegseth are merely a part of a witch hunt—all in an effort to rile up Trump supporters and sic them towards GOP senators skeptical of Hegseth’s nomination.
Look no additional than Wicker’s opening assertion:
“Regarding his personal conduct, Mr. Hegseth has admitted to falling short, as we all do from time to time. It is noteworthy that the vast majority of the accusations leveled at Mr. Hegseth have come from anonymous sources,” Wicker mentioned.
Hegseth, in the meantime, did not deal with any of the allegations of improper conduct towards him in his ready opening remarks—an indication he believes Republicans will verify him regardless.
Hegseth’s affirmation listening to started at 9:30 AM ET on Tuesday and could be streamed right here.
