CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings weighed in on the confirmation hearing of President-elect Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, calling the Democratic senators’ strategy of “mudslinging” a disaster that ultimately backfired.
Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer and Fox News contributor, faced an intense grilling from Democratic lawmakers during his Tuesday confirmation hearing. Yet, according to Jennings, the senators’ aggressive tactics, including questioning Hegseth’s personal life and shouting over him, did little to damage his credibility and may have actually helped his chances of confirmation.
The hearing, held by the Senate Armed Services Committee, saw a number of high-profile Democratic senators take aim at Hegseth’s qualifications, personal background, and political affiliations. Among the most prominent moments were Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine’s accusations of infidelity and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s lengthy lecture on women in the military. However, according to Jennings, these lines of questioning didn’t land as intended.
Jennings was sharply critical of Kaine’s questioning, calling it inappropriate and damaging to the credibility of the Democrats. “I mean, Tim Kaine sounded like a sex pervert in his questioning of Pete Hegseth,” Jennings quipped, noting the bizarre nature of the inquiry.
Another controversial moment came when Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York took Hegseth to task over his views on women serving in the military. Gillibrand, known for her advocacy on gender equality in the armed forces, spent nearly eight minutes lecturing Hegseth on the importance of integrating women into military roles.
Jennings argued that the overly long and preaching nature of the exchange hurt her cause and allowed Hegseth to appear composed and in control. “Gillibrand went on an unhinged rant about things,” Jennings observed, stating that while she had the right to ask questions, her tone and approach were not constructive.
Democratic Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth also clashed with Hegseth over his leadership experience, particularly in the context of auditing organizations he had led. Duckworth, a veteran of the Iraq War, pressed Hegseth on whether he had ever led an audit of any organization he had been in charge of. When Hegseth attempted to explain that his leadership had been “completely fiscally responsible,” Duckworth yelled over him, demanding a simple “yes or no” answer.
“Yes or no, did you lead an audit? Yes or no, did you lead an audit? Yes or no? What are you afraid of? You can’t answer this question? Yes or no, did you lead an audit? Do you not know this answer?”
To many observers, Duckworth’s behavior appeared disorderly, especially when compared to Hegseth’s calm demeanor. Jennings, in particular, highlighted how the interaction seemed to undermine Duckworth’s position, with Hegseth remaining unflustered while answering the question.
“In short, I think Pete Hegseth kicked their asses today. I mean, it wasn’t even close. They didn’t lay a glove on Hegseth,” Jennings remarked on CNN News Central. He went on to praise Hegseth’s composure throughout the hearing, describing him as “calm, cool, and collected” despite the hostile environment.
Jennings, who is known for his pointed commentary, didn’t hold back, arguing that the Democratic senators’ behavior was counterproductive. “Before the thing even started, you had this, like, Code Pink protester freak show trying to disrupt the hearing,” Jennings said. “That’s the Democratic base, by the way, which probably explains why the Democrats on the committee acted in such a bizarre and unprofessional way.”
Jennings wasn’t the only one to take issue with the tactics employed by the Democratic senators. Many political observers noted that the aggressive questioning might have actually enhanced Hegseth’s chances of being confirmed. “They made him look good today,” Jennings said. “It would be difficult for a Republican to vote against Hegseth after the Democrats’ unseemly mudslinging today.”
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