1 week Ago By Alex Shipman
Mitch McConnell has issued a scathing statement questioning new defense secretary Pete Hegseth's credentials for the role. Minutes after Hegseth was appointed to the position after a tense tie-break Senate vote, McConnell said he had "failed" to prove himself worthy. JD Vance rescued the former Fox News host after the vote was tied 50-50, marking only the second time in history that a Vice President had to break a Cabinet nominee tie.
McConnell, the former Senate Republican leader, had voted against Hegseth. “The most consequential cabinet official in any Administration is the Secretary of Defense. In the face of the gravest threats to US national security interests since World War II, this position is even more important today,” McConnell wrote.
"Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But as he assumes office, the consequences of failure are as high as they have ever been," his statement continued.
"The United States faces coordinated aggression from adversaries bent on shattering the order underpinning American security and prosperity. In public comments and testimony before the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Hegseth did not reckon with this reality.
" He questioned Hegseth's ability to protect US ally Taiwan amid repeated invasion threats from China. McConnell said Hegseth offered “no substantial observations on how to defend Taiwan or the Philippines against a Chinese attack, or even whether he believes the United States should do so.”.
