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: [[link removed]]

Do not approve Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense.
[[link removed]]

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Thanks for taking action.

For progress,

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


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