Surprise to the Republicans…
A nomination which did not fail to provoke a reaction, including in the Republican ranks. In an interview cited by Politico, the senior head of Pentagon policy under the Bush administration, Eric Edelman, noted that “Trump places the highest value on loyalty“. “It seems that one of the main criteria used is how people defend Donald Trump on television“, he declared in this sense. For her part, Republican Senator from Alaska Lisa Murkowski said she was “simply surprised”, “because the names I’ve heard for Secretary of Defense don’t include him“There was also astonishment for Bill Cassidy, Republican senator from Louisiana.”Who “, he reacted when he was questioned about this choice. “I don’t know Pete. I just don’t know anything about him.“
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…and veterans
A defense industry lobbyist reacted as tactfully to comment on this choice: “But who is this guy?“, he asks on condition of anonymity, before claiming to have hoped for the appointment of “someone who actually has extensive experience in the defense field. That would be a good start.“The decision is also having difficulty getting through to those most affected: war veterans. In a post on X, Paul Rieckhoff, the founder ofIndependent Veterans of Americajudges Hegseth to be “undoubtedly the least qualified candidate for Secretary of Defense in American history. And the most overtly political.” “Get ready, America“, he then warned. And for good reason, Paul Rieckhoff was taken by surprise by the appointment of Pete Hegseth, whom he rather expected to be chief of staff or press officer, given his profile of “very effective and fierce media, cultural and political fighter for MAGA“.
