The Heggs hearings were a national disgrace
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Shortly after Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth read his opening remarks and began answering questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee, I started thinking: I hope America's allies and enemies alike don't notice this. Of course, this hope is completely unreasonable. Such hearings are closely watched by friends and foes alike as they weigh in on a nominee who could lead the world's most powerful military and become a close adviser to the U.S. president.
What America and the world are seeing today is not a serious look at a serious man. Instead, Republicans on the committee have shown they would rather elevate an unqualified, unsuitable nominee to a position of great responsibility than compete with Donald Trump, Elon Musk or the state’s most ardent Republican Voters against. America's allies should be deeply concerned; at the same time, America's enemies are almost certainly surprised by their unexpected good fortune.
The issues raised by most Republican senators have nothing to do with defending America and everything to do with the particular obsession with alternative realities that dominate right-wing television and talk radio, particularly the bane of “wokeness.” Maybe that's just as well for Hegseth, because the few moments of anything substantial did not go well for him. For example, when Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer tried to bait Hegseth early on with some basic questions about nuclear weapons, he lost his way. He's trying to figure out an answer that involves harnessing the ingenuity of Silicon Valley to innovate the nuclear power of the future…or something.
On many other issues, including compliance with the Geneva Conventions, the role of the military in domestic policing and the obligation not to comply with illegal orders, Hegseth fudged and improvised. He seemed aware that he had to avoid sounding extreme while still performing for the only audience that really mattered: 50 Republican senators and a former and future president of the United States. His evasion wasn't particularly clever, but it didn't have to be. He made clear that his two top priorities as secretary of state were leading the culture wars within the Pentagon and executing whatever Trump asked him to do.
If America's friends and adversaries saw a vacuous person before the committee, they also saw a complete lack of seriousness and purpose in the actions of Republicans who once billed themselves as members of the national security party. Aside from Fisher and the rather pragmatic Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, few Republicans asked Hegseth anything meaningful about policy. Ernst got a commitment from Hegers to appoint a senior official in charge of sexual assault prevention, but most of her colleagues resorted to the usual vogue about DEI and cultural Marxism when throwing softballs at Hegers. language. (Missouri Sen. Eric Schmidt also managed to mention drag queens, but the trophy for most cringe-worthy moment goes to Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy, who asked Hegseth how many gender. When Hegseth said “two,” Sheehee said: “I'm very aware that I'm a hemboy. Got it? She's been here all week, guys 😉
Speaking of buzzwords, most of Hegseth's answers relied on his pledge to support “warriors” and their “lethality,” two words that have been floating around the Pentagon for years — like something filled with helium . To his credit, Hegseth has learned how to speak fluent Pentagonese, a content-agnostic language that stakeholders can use to help warfighters leverage their assets to increase lethality. (I taught officers for many years at the Naval War College. I feel free to write this newspeak.) As Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut pointed out, Hegseth may not be qualified to be secretary of defense, But he could make do as defense minister. Pentagon spokesman.
Some Democrats stressed that Hegseth had never run any large organization, and even at smaller ones his record wasn't particularly impressive. Michigan Sen. Gary Peters noted that even mid-sized company boards wouldn't hire Hegseth as CEO. Other Democrats chastised Hegseth for his personal behavior, including accusations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse (which he denies). Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly had listed specific incidents and asked Hegseth to confirm or deny them. Each time, Hegseth responded only with “anonymous slander,” which he seemed to think was like invoking the Fifth Amendment. Hegseth also said he is not perfect and is saved by his faith in Jesus Christ, whose name comes up more often than one might think during a hearing related to national security.
Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a veteran wounded while serving in Iraq, brought out a large Soldier's Creed poster to emphasize the commitment to standards and integrity it embodies. persistence. She asked Hegseth how the Defense Department could still require military personnel to train and serve to such high standards if the Senate only lowered the bar for him to lead the Pentagon. When she asked Hegseth a variety of questions, Hegseth was in trouble again and she said simply and directly: “You are not qualified, Mr. Hegseth.”
That didn't matter to Republicans on the committee, some of whom were furious about questions about Hegseth's character. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin tried to turn the tables by asking how many of his colleagues had voted while drunk or cheating on their spouses, as if to avoid questioning the would-be defense secretary Further debate whether adultery or struggle. and substance abuse.
Unfortunately for Mullin, he didn't know his Senate history, so Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed came to his aid: Reed said that if any members of the Senate were nominated In a position like this, they would do the same. Such questions must be answered. He then added that the late Sen. John Tower was denied the same position Hegseth wanted in 1989 because of an alcohol problem.
Throughout it all, I tried to imagine the reaction in Moscow or Beijing, where senior Defense Department officials were almost certainly watching Hegseth stumble through this hearing. They learned today that their incoming opponents apparently have little regard for foreign enemies but have plenty to worry about, as Trump calls them, “enemies within.” MAGA Republicans, for their part, seem eager only for Hegseth to get in there and tear up the Pentagon.
After today, I suspect America's enemies are happily waiting for the same thing.
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Stephanie Bai contributed to this newsletter.
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