This just keeps getting uglier
Additional incompetence from the Trump administration was a given, but it seems that appointing Pete Hegseth was a huge mistake, as others tried to tell Trump. Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski all refused to vote for him because he wasn’t qualified. The threesome forced JD Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote to secure confirmation. At the time, what Mitch McConnell said is ringing true: “The most consequential cabinet official in any Administration is the Secretary of Defense. In the face of the gravest threats to U.S. national security interests since World War II, this position is even more important today.” When your most important cabinet member fails to understand what “sensitive materials” means, he does not need to oversee our defense.
Hegseth was part of Signalgate which involved adding a journalist to an official call. Now, CNN reported that Hegseth shared military plans in another Signal chat that included his wife and brother. Yes, you read that right, but there’s more. According to CNN, Hegseth used his personal phone, which is likely how his wife, brother-and his lawyer-were included on the chat, but as you will read later, he probably meant to include them. Hegseth’s former press secretary, John Ullyot, has shared what’s happening at the Pentagon: “It’s been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon. From leaks of sensitive operational plans to mass firings, the dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president, who deserves better from his senior leadership.” Well, Trump did choose Hegseth, so some of the responsibility resides with him as well. Funny, but the Black man (Lloyd Austin) who headed up the Pentagon under Biden never experienced any of these problems. So much for the DEI argument, as Austin is apparently more capable than Pete Hegseth, skin color aside. On top of this mess, the Jerusalem Post reported on the sharing of confidential White House data with thousands. As Marco Rubio would say, oopsie.
The Trump White House is a disaster but consider the source. Trump was in over his head the first time around and seems even more incompetent than before, and he has placed incompetents in his cabinet so that they can screw up as well. As CNN reported, both Hegseth’s brother and lawyer have jobs at the Department of Defense. Engage in nepotism much? His wife does not have a job with DOD, but that didn’t stop Hegseth from including her in meetings with foreign leaders. Exactly what type of funny farm is Trump running in Washington? It was, of course, reported to the media that no classified information was shared in the chat. Yeah, that’s what they said last time, but you would think war and attack plans are or should be confidential. Either way, Hegseth appears to be in a world of trouble.
According to Newsweek, Hegseth is “unlikely to remain defense secretary.” That’s what happens when you think you know everything and won’t allow proper vetting of potential cabinet members. It all comes back down to the fact that Donald Trump is clueless and cannot lead his way out of a paper bag.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years