Senator Tammy Duckworth
Appearances
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And also, Secretary Mattis had to have this waiver as well. Mr. Hacksmith, this hearing is about whether you qualify to be Secretary of Defense. And one of the qualifications, to answer my colleague's question, is to actually be win the votes of every member of this committee and to be confirmed by the United States Senate.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
And you need to convince us that you're worthy of that vote because the people of the state of Illinois voted for me to be their senator so that I could cast that vote when it comes to picking who is going to be the next Secretary of Defense.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
This hearing now seems to be a hearing about whether or not women are qualified to serve in combat and not about whether or not you are qualified to be Secretary of Defense. And let me just say that the American people need a SecDef who's ready to lead on day one. You are not that person. Our adversaries watch closely during times of transition.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
And any sense that the Department of Defense that keeps us safe is being steered by someone who's wholly unprepared for the job puts America at risk. And I am not willing to do that. With that in mind, Mr. Hexeth, I want you to try to explain to the American people this committee...
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
who have to vote for you, and to our troops who are deployed around the world, why you are qualified to lead the Department of Defense. We already know that you've only led the largest 200-person organization. We already know that you so badly mangled a budget that after you left, they had to bring in a forensic accountant to figure out what went wrong. And the largest budget you ever made.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
never led an audit. What guidance did you give the auditors? None, because you've never led an audit. Nobody expects you to be an accountant, Mr. Hexath. What we expect is for you to understand the complexity of this Pentagon budget process that is absolutely necessary to outfit our warfighters.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
Look, the Secretary of Defense is required to make quick decisions every single day with high-level information that's being provided for them. A Secretary of Defense has to have breadth and depth of knowledge. Right now, I am concerned that you have neither. Mr. Hextech, what is the highest level of international negotiations that you have engaged in, that you have led in?
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
Because the Secretary of Defense does lead international security negotiations. There are three main ones that the Secretary of Defense leads and signs. Can you name at least one of them?
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
Sure. What is the highest level of international security agreement that you have led? And can you name some that the Secretary of Defense would lead? There's three main ones.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
Can you name one of the three main ones that the Secretary of Defense signs?
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
Status of Forces Agreement would be one of them.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
But you don't remember to mention it? You're not qualified, Mr. Hexeth. You're not qualified. You talk about repairing our defense industrial complex. You're not qualified to that. You could do the acquisition and cross-servicing agreements, which essentially are security agreements. You can't even mention that. You've done none of those.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
You talked about the Indo-Pacific a little bit, and I'm glad that you mentioned it. Can you name... the importance of at least one of the nations in ASEAN and what type of agreement we have with at least one of those nations. And how many nations are in ASEAN, by the way?
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
None of those three countries that you've mentioned are in ASEAN. I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of negotiations. Listen, Mr. Hexel, this is... We ask our troops to go into harm's way all the time. We ask them to go into harm's way. And this behind me is a copy of the Soldier's Creed, a copy that usually hangs over my desk here in the Senate.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
And you should be familiar with it. It's the same copy that hung over my desk at Walter Reed every single day that I woke up and fought my way back because I wanted to go back and serve next to my buddies who saved my life. The same copy, these words are repeated over and over and over again. And let me read out two things to you, two sentences. I will always place the mission first.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
And I am disciplined physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior task. Mr. Hexeth, our troops follow these words every single day. And they man up and they pack their rucksacks and they go to war. And they deserve a leader who can lead them, not a leader.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
He has filed for bankruptcy six times. I'm not quite sure he's the kind of CEO you want to refer to as a successful businessman. Let me make it clear. You can't seem to grasp that there is no U.S. military, as we know it, without the incredible women that we serve. Women who've earned their place in their units. You have not earned your place as Secretary of Defense.
The Charlie Kirk Show
The Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Watch Party
You say you care about keeping our armed forces strong and that you like that our armed forces are meritocracy. Then let's not lower the standards for you. You, sir, are a no-go at this station.