The Hegseth "incident."

George K · "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

Hegseth lobbied very hard to head the VA when the job became available in 2018. But the group of seasoned advisers, including Vice President Mike Pence, who met at the time to screen potential candidates, agreed even then that Hegseth’s baggage, personal behavior, and lack of management experience precluded his nomination.

An issue that arose during the consideration of Hegseth to head the VA in 2018 was the possibility that he could be vulnerable to blackmail. Ever since President Dwight Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450 (which was, ironically, strengthened by President Bill Clinton in 1997), anyone who shows “vulnerability to exploitation and coercion” is barred from sensitive national security positions. Hegseth is a walking demonstration of why that prohibition exists.

Hegseth’s FBI background check. Armed Services Committee sources told NBC News that its delivery, only late last Friday, represented an “unprecedented” delay in the context of confirmation hearings for a major department. Chairman Wicker and Senator Jack Reed (D., R.I.), the committee’s ranking member, are the only senators who have read the report. But several senators from both parties are demanding to see it. Senator Tommy Tuberville, an Alabama Republican and staunch Trump ally, has insisted to reporters, “I’m going to see it.”

According to one senator, Wicker didn’t poll his fellow Republicans on the committee until last Thursday. He found that support for Hegseth falls short, for now, of a committee majority. If his nomination goes to the Senate floor, where there are only 53 Republicans, Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine are likely to vote no. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, liberated from his duties as GOP Senate leader, is also a likely no. Moreover, GOP Senators Joni Ernst of Iowa, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and John Curtis of Utah (who just replaced his good friend Mitt Romney in the Senate) are said to be irritated by ad buys in their states from MAGA groups that demand that they vote to confirm Hegseth.

Axios reports that “Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is privately pressing his senators to create fireworks when they question President-elect Trump’s nominees.”

jon-nyc

I guess I should have read that before making my confirmation prognostications. If he gets the ax, that’s good news for Gabbard.

taiwan_girl

Waiting for the "I have done nothing wrong but it is clear that this is a distraction to the great work that President Trump is going to do, so I am going to withdrawn my name for............"

Renauda

@jon-nyc said in The Hegseth "incident.":

I guess I should have read that before making my confirmation prognostications. If he gets the ax, that’s good news for Gabbard.

Watched a bit of this morning’s interrogation of Hesgeth on BBC. Meh, a lot of theatre by all involved.

I personally think that despite his baggage, Hesgeth is far less of a liability to the country risk than Gabbard. That woman should not have access to anything classified above Personal & Confidential.

jon-nyc

Hegseth at least was in the service and has spent time thinking about it.

She wasn’t in intelligence in the military, wasn’t on any intelligence committees, and she herself isn’t intelligent. She hasn’t even smelled experience from a distance.

And then her fondness for Kremlin talking points….

Renauda

@jon-nyc

And then her fondness for Kremlin talking points….

…I’m sure that’s an oblique reference to the onion domes adorning the many churches in the Kremlin itself.

LuFins Dad

Frankly, I thought he looked pretty good from what I saw, and the Dems on the committee came across as petulant brats. Oh, and the onlookers that were removed? LMFAO!

George K · "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

@LuFins-Dad said in The Hegseth "incident.":

I thought he looked pretty good from what I saw

I've expressed my skepticism of his nomination.

the Dems on the committee came across as petulant brats

And he was able to explain what a jag off is.

ETA: MAJOR props to Hegseth for keeping his cool when asked that question.

LuFins Dad

By the way, despite what you think, Jagoff has nothing to do with the general perception of the term. It’s derived from Scots/Irish and simply means a jerk or idiot that likes to provoke. “He’s just jagging you…”

George K · "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

Well, that settles it.

taiwan_girl

Isn't adultery in the US military grounds for dismissal? Just curious.

George K · "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

@taiwan_girl said in The Hegseth "incident.":

Isn't adultery in the US military grounds for dismissal? Just curious.

Don't know.

He wasn't a soldier when it happened, tho.

taiwan_girl

Hegseth, a 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News Channel weekend host, has acknowledged having multiple extramarital affairs — which occurred while he was in the military, according to divorce records — and has said he told his troops to ignore commands about when to fire on potential enemies. Both violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice and can get troops court-martialed and dishonorably discharged.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/01/13/hegseth-could-lead-troops-whod-face-getting-fired-actions-hes-done-past.html

George K · "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

@taiwan_girl thanks. I wasn't aware of the timing.

Descending into "But Mom, he did it too" territory, if the military sent every philandering soldier to a court martial, we'd have to reinstitute the draft.

LuFins Dad

And the fact that he wasn’t reprimanded for countermanding the orders on when to open fire is very telling. It shows that some superior thought he was correct to do so.