Since President Trump nominated Pete Hegseth as the next U.S. Defense Secretary, the knives have been out for him.
First, they belittled him by claiming he was merely co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend.” Even now, in their myriad hit pieces, Hegseth is referred to as the former Fox News host, the implication being that he is a lightweight.
After graduating from Princeton University in 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard. He volunteered to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded the Bronze Star. Yet he’s never referred to as a military veteran.
Let’s look at the allegations so far.
NBC News reported that 10 current and former Fox employees said Hegeseth drank in ways that concerned them. A media watchdog has rubbished these claims.
The New Yorker reported that Hegeseth drunkenly shouted “Kill all Muslims!” in the middle of a bar while serving as the president of Concerned Veterans for America (CVA). The same article claimed that Hegseth was “completely passed out” in a van and “slumped over” a female employee and had to be carried back to his room. Jane Meyer, the author of the piece, was also behind smears against Justice Brett Kavanaugh
An undisclosed whistleblower report on Hegseth’s tenure as the president of CVA from 2013 until 2016, alleged misconduct during inebriation and that Hegseth sexually pursued female coworkers. The report also claims he was forced to resign from two different veterans groups because of alleged misconduct and mismanagement. An ex-CVA advisor revealed that Hegseth stepped down voluntarily and that there wasn’t any fraud or misconduct.
It was also alleged that Hegseth sexually assaulted a woman at a California hotel in 2017. Hegseth’s attorney Timothy Parlatore revealed that the allegation “was investigated by the police at the time and they found no evidence.”
The attacks aren’t just restricted to Hegseth — the WaPo belittled all Bronze Star awardees claiming that Bronze Stars are “fairly routine and bureaucratic.”
All of the above are claims made by unnamed sources.
Even if someone claims to be a witness or a victim, it isn’t proof of wrongdoing.
Recently reports surfaced that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis may replace Hegseth. This too was a falsehood — President Trump has reaffirmed his faith in Hegseth.
But the news space is flooded with these allegations. The goal is to imply that there is no smoke without fire.
Now for some facts.
Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) support Hegseth, as do senator-elect James Banks and Rep. Warren Davidson.
But the smear merchants of the swamp won’t relent. They tasted blood following the ouster of Matt Gaetz and are hoping to repeat their feat.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) claimed that the allegations against Hegseth are “very disturbing,” which is ironclad proof that the swamp despises Hegseth.
This is a preview of what Hegseth’s hearing is likely to be. It will be a kangaroo court. Despite not being charged with any crime, Hegseth will treated as guilty. This isn’t only a violation of the norms of any confirmation process but also due process in court which mandates the presumption of innocence. This is the treatment Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Clarence Thomas received.
There will be ‘protests’ during these confirmations both in the arena and beyond, and the ‘protestors’ will confront individual senators. They will create an atmosphere where it appears that a vote for Hegseth is a vote for rapists and scare GOP senators.
protect the nation. Amazingly, this is a controversial opinion in contemporary D.C.
If nominees were to capitulate before smears, only swamp loyalists would receive confirmation.
This also raises questions about the Senate confirmation phase itself. President Trump received a landslide mandate on November 5th, i.e. a license to drain the swamp. A prolonged Senate confirmation process will impede the implementation of this key campaign promise.
The process seems counterproductive. Why should senators who receive mandates from half of their state be allowed to obstruct the choices of a President who received a national mandate? What about states that Trump won but have non-GOP senators?
Trump won Arizona, which has a Democrat and an independent senator. If these two senators vote against confirmation, it would undermine Trump’s Arizona mandate but the underminers will be those who also received Arizona mandates.
What if the Senate was controlled by Democrats? They wouldn’t have approved of any of Trump’s choices and that would undermine his mandate.
Another reason confirmation may not be necessary is that cabinet secretaries aren’t decision-makers, they are subordinates of the President whose function is to implement the President’s vision for the nation. They follow orders. The only vetting needed is for a criminal record and conflict of interest.
In parliamentary democracies (UK, Canada, India, etc.), the head of state, the prime minister, appoints his cabinet without any confirmation.
A Senate confirmation hearing is required for judicial appointments since those are lifetime appointments, and Supreme Court rulings have a lasting impact on the nation.
The problem isn’t the idea of a Senate confirmation, but that the process has drifted away from its original purpose. Senate confirmations should be the equivalent of a panel interview, i.e. an objective and meticulous probe by various individuals to judge the merit of any nominee. Unfortunately, Senate confirmation and hearings have devolved into theatrics and partisan skullduggery.
The exchange is set to a stopwatch, preventing deep probing questions, thorough answers, and follow-up questions. The confirmation process is rendered meaningless because Presidents find ways to circumvent it. When Susan Rice withdrew her Secretary of State nomination, Obama appointed her National Security Adviser, which does not require Senate confirmation.
Individuals who receive confirmation are often sub-par. Examples include Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, etc.
The idea of Senate confirmations was conceived in an era when D.C. consisted of patriots who placed the nation’s well-being first.
Alas, those days are long gone.
It’s time to rethink this process. Perhaps Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk’s DOGE will lead this essential change, which will require a constitutional amendment.
In the meantime, is good to see President Trump remain steadfast in his support for Hegseth.
This insanity could be a crucial test of how the nominees act under pressure, do they capitulate or are defiant and ready to fight back?
Hegseth seems to have passed this test — he doesn’t seem shaken or hesitant but determined.
Image: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
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