Markwayne Mullin’s defense of Pete Hegseth raises eyebrows amid serious allegations during confirmation hearings
Washington, D.C.: Pete Hegseth had a tough time during his confirmation hearing. The former Fox News host, chosen by Trump for the Pentagon, faced some hard questions from Senator Tim Kaine.
Kaine really dug into Hegseth’s past, bringing up serious issues like allegations of cheating, sexual misconduct, and drinking problems. Then, Senator Markwayne Mullin jumped in to defend Hegseth in a pretty unusual way.
Mullin asked, “What if you showed up drunk to your job? How many senators have done that?” He seemed to imply that since some senators have had their own issues, Hegseth shouldn’t be held to a higher standard.
It was a strange defense. Instead of saying Hegseth didn’t have a drinking problem, Mullin basically admitted that he did. He even suggested that it’s okay if Hegseth can still do his job while drinking.
Later, Mullin talked to CNN and said he was trying to make a point about job performance. But honestly, it didn’t inspire much confidence in Hegseth’s qualifications.
He also mentioned that the country has had qualified defense secretaries but claimed they’ve gotten us “nowhere.” It’s a weird take, considering the U.S. military is the strongest in the world.
Why risk that with someone who clearly isn’t fit for the role? It just doesn’t make sense.
