The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith said he expects Pete Hegseth’s nomination as secretary of defense to run into opposition in the Senate.
“There is reason for concern that this is not a person who is a serious enough policymaker, serious enough policy implementer, to do a successful job,” said Smith, D-Wash. “I mean, it’s one thing to pop off on about various different issues. It’s another thing to actually have been in a position where your decisions impact things.”
Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
Smith said Hegseth’s combat experience is a “plus, no question about it. But to run the Pentagon requires a whole lot of different, other skill sets. And maybe he’s a fast learner. Well, we’ll find out.”
As Trump is pushing the incoming Republican Senate to skirt its confirmation role and allow recess appointments of his nominees, Smith said this one needs some time for consideration.
“What’s your plan? What are you going to do? … How can you assure us that that lack of experience, you know, isn’t going to make it impossible for you to do the job?” he said. “I think those are questions that need to be answered over the next couple of months.”
