Leader Schumer On Pete Hegseth's 'Dodgeball' Confirmation Strategy: "Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, And Dodge"

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the confirmation hearing of President-elect Trump’s Secretary of Defense pick Pete Hegseth, emphasizing that his testimony has failed to address the disturbing questions that plague his nomination and using a ‘dodgeball’ strategy of "dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge". Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Today, the Senate began holding hearings for the President-elect’s nominees to serve in his Cabinet.

This morning, the Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony from Pete Hegseth to serve as Secretary of Defense. Few nominees will face the kind of troubling questions that Mr. Hegseth faced going into today’s hearing. He is, by outward appearance, woefully unfit for a job like Secretary of Defense.

Unfortunately for Mr. Hegseth, his testimony thus far has failed to address the disturbing questions that plague his nomination.

It appears Mr. Hegseth’s strategy is to follow the five Ds of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge!

Mr. Hegseth failed to explain, for one, why someone with his lack of qualifications should be entrusted to lead our armed forces. Why should America entrust our military to a television personality who has never led any large organization? It’s a huge organization, the DOD. He hasn't come close to having any of that kind of administrative experience. We didn’t hear any good answer to that question.

Mr. Hegseth also failed to answer for his deeply flawed history of financial and organizational mismanagement. Why should he be the one entrusted to manage the Pentagon’s budget? Again, no good answer.

When asked about his comments as recently as two months ago, when he claimed “we should not have women in combat roles,” he had no good answers.

Finally, Mr. Hegseth failed to assure us he has the temperament for the job. His history of excessive drinking is troubling for someone seeking to lead our military. And his reflexive defiance against the allegations regarding sexual assault undermines his credibility.

If Mr. Hegseth has nothing to hide about his past, then it shouldn’t be a problem for the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee to allow all Committee members to review all FBI background documents.

But today, Chairman Wicker rejected this reasonable request by Ranking Member Reed, to let committee members review Mr. Hegseth’s past.

Again, if there is nothing to hide about Mr. Hegseth, why is the Chairman hellbent on keeping all relevant information out of the hands of his colleagues?

To dismiss the allegations against Mr. Hegseth, but then reject full transparency, is odd at best, dangerous at worst. It reeks of something hiding in the dark.

Being Secretary of Defense demands discipline, character, restraint. Mr. Hegseth’s history shows he is deficient in all these qualities and thus far, his hearing has not changed that.

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