Warren attacks Hegseth while ignoring Austin’s similar mistakes


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Elizabeth Warren continues her opposition to Pete Hegseth’s nomination as secretary of defense, following her initial confrontation during his Armed Services Committee hearing on January 14.

The Massachusetts senator’s latest critique emerged in an MSNBC appearance shared on X, where she expressed concerns about Hegseth’s potential reliability in matters of military preparedness.

Focusing on Hegseth’s alleged history with alcohol, Warren attempted to cast doubt on his ability to fulfill the role’s demanding responsibilities.

“It is the secretary of defense who makes the call on, ‘It’s now time to call the president. If so, what am I going to tell the president?'” Warren said, emphasizing the position’s gravity.

“Secretary of defense has to be ready to go twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year,” she continued, before adding, “Look, I understand there are people who have alcohol problems, but we cannot trust the safety of our country to someone who has demonstrated repeatedly using very bad judgment with alcohol and doing it in ways that truly have incapacitated him.”

However, Warren’s emphasis on constant availability and readiness draws attention to a recent incident involving Biden’s appointee, former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In early January 2024, Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for post-surgery complications, yet failed to inform President Biden or other key officials of his hospitalization for three days.

This oversight by Austin directly contradicts Warren’s insisted requirement for round-the-clock availability, highlighting a significant disconnect between her current criticism of Hegseth and her silence on Austin’s documented absence.

The timing and nature of Warren’s criticism appear particularly questionable given the recent circumstances with the current administration’s defense secretary, suggesting her opposition to Hegseth may be driven more by political considerations than genuine concerns about duty fulfillment.