On Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, sat for a Senate confirmation hearing, during which he was criticized and questioned about his military record and fitness for the position.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) focused on recruiting issues and restoring the military's strength and efficiency by ridding it of the progressive policies enacted under the Biden administration.
“We’re in trouble. Our whole country is in trouble,” Tuberville began. “...I met with a couple of generals this summer, ‘Coach, we’re spending more money on transgender restrooms than we are coverings for $100 million airplanes.’ That’s not acceptable. We can’t do that… We’ve lost all sight of what we’re doing in our military. Lost all sight. It starts with leadership, and it starts with recruiting.”
Tuberville said America’s military service academies have turned into a “breeding ground for leftist activists and champions of DEI and critical theory."
“Now, not all but some, and some is way too much. How are we going to eliminate this, Mr. Hegseth? How are we going to get this back on track?” he asked.
Hegseth, a 20-year military veteran, said it came down to “clear leadership” and unambiguous expectations.
“You have to rip, root and branch, the politics and divisive policies out of these institutions and then focus them on creating and preparing actual future military leadership,” he responded.
Hegseth predicted a “recruiting renaissance” under the new Trump administration by cutting bureaucracy and attracting more young “warfighters.”
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