McConnell opposes Trump’s defense secretary choice; VP Vance breaks Senate tie
Sen. Mitch McConnell had some sober words explaining his opposition to the confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense Friday night.
McConnell was one of three Republicans who joined Democrats in voting against President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, forcing Vice President JD Vance to break a 50-50 tie.
McConnell said in a statement on the confirmation Friday night that the veteran and former Fox News host “wouldn’t even commit to growing America’s defense investment beyond the low bar set by the Biden Administration’s budget requests” at a time when he said the country is facing “the gravest threats to U.S. national security interests since World War II.”
“Effective management of nearly 3 million military and civilian personnel, an annual budget of nearly $1 trillion, and alliances and partnerships around the world is a daily test with staggering consequences for the security of the American people and our global interests,” McConnell wrote.
“Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But as he assumes office, the consequences of failure are as high as they have ever been.
The Kentucky Republican added: “The United States faces coordinated aggression from adversaries bent on shattering the order underpinning American security and prosperity. In public comments and testimony before the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Hegseth did not reckon with this reality.”
The nominee was embattled by several accusations, including one that he paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault $50,000, and concern about his views on women in the military.
McConnell warned against entangling the military in culture wars.
“By all accounts, brave young men and women join the military with the understanding that it is a meritocracy,” he wrote. “This precious trust endures only as long as lawful civilian leadership upholds what must be a firewall between service members and politics.
“The Biden Administration failed at this fundamental task. But the restoration of ‘warrior culture’ will not come from trading one set of culture warriors for another.”
He also said Hegseth did not offer “any substantive discussion of countering our adversaries’ alignment with deeper alliance relationships and more extensive defense industrial cooperation of our own” or voice plans for helping the Philippines and Taiwan if China should decide to attack them.
How McConnell would vote on Hegseth has been a matter of speculation for weeks.
On Thursday, he did vote in favor of allowing the debate over Hegseth’s nomination to proceed in the Senate.
Kentucky’s junior senator, Republican Rand Paul, supported Hegseth’s nomination.
