Things aren’t looking great for Pete Hegseth — Donald Trump’s pick to be secretary of defense.

A few points about what it means to be secretary of defense:

The secretary of defense is in charge of the entire United States military — not only the most powerful military in all of human history, but also one of the largest organizations, of any kind, on the planet.

The secretary of defense must be available — at a moment’s notice, at any time of day or night — to make clear, quick, level-headed decisions that are, quite literally, matters of life and death.

The secretary of defense should be a serious person with significant experience running a massive organization.

Now, here are some things we’re learning about Pete Hegseth from credible reporting in numerous news outlets:

• Hegseth has faced allegations of sexual assault and mistreatment of female colleagues.

• He also — just two weeks before Trump nominated him — said that women should not be allowed to serve in combat roles.

• In 2015, Hegseth was heard chanting “Kill all Muslims!” at a hotel in Ohio.

• Hegseth’s chief “qualification,” in Trump’s eyes, seems to be his recent stint as a weekend host on Fox News, where he served as yet another MAGA sycophant.

• Ten different people who worked with Hegseth at Fox have told reporters his drinking was severe enough to be concerning, with two people saying he smelled of alcohol before going on air at least a dozen times.

• One former Fox employee says, “For the sake of national security, I really hope he has stopped drinking.” Another says, simply, “He should not be secretary of defense.”

• People who worked at a veterans organization run by Hegseth say that while attending functions on behalf of the group, Hegseth — on multiple occasions — drank to the point of needing to be carried out of the room.

• At one of those veterans organizations, Hegseth was accused of mismanagement and ultimately forced out of his leadership role after whistleblowers came forward.

Pete Hegseth is not qualified to be secretary of defense in any way, shape, or form.

Like all Cabinet nominees, Hegseth must be voted on by the Senate. And at this point, even some Republican senators are publicly expressing reservations about Hegseth.

Let’s make sure the Senate hears loud and clear that the American people are demanding someone more qualified — and less potentially compromised — for secretary of defense than Pete Hegseth.

To the United States Senate:

Do not approve Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense.

Click to add your name now.

Thanks for taking action.

For progress,

- Robert Weissman & Lisa Gilbert, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen
 
 
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