TRUMP

KRAISMAN Corey Lewandowski is ░░░░░░░░ Trump senior adviser He ░░░░░░░░ us now Great to ░░░░░░░░ you Corey LEWANDOWSKI Good ░░░░░░░░ KRAISMAN So does the ░░░░░░░░ elect have any concerns ░░░░░░░░ about Pete Hegseth and ░░░░░░░░ nomination LEWANDOWSKI We have ░░░░░░░░ concerns at all Look ░░░░░░░░ is eminently qualified to ░░░░░░░░ the Secretary of Defense ░░░░░░░░ issue is you know ░░░░░░░░ s outside of the ░░░░░░░░ thinking He s not ░░░░░░░░ traditional military industrial complex ░░░░░░░░ someone who s been ░░░░░░░░ the ranks Pete has ░░░░░░░░ with distinction in his ░░░░░░░░ in the military He ░░░░░░░░ a Princeton graduate He ░░░░░░░░ a Harvard graduate He ░░░░░░░░ frontline duties And the ░░░░░░░░ that Donald Trump is ░░░░░░░░ somebody to go and ░░░░░░░░ reform the Pentagon should ░░░░░░░░ of no surprise as ░░░░░░░░ have seen a military ░░░░░░░░ complex that has made ░░░░░░░░ if not trillions of ░░░░░░░░ over the course of ░░░░░░░░ last multiple decades engaging ░░░░░░░░ multiple wars around this ░░░░░░░░ And it s time ░░░░░░░░ bring our troops home ░░░░░░░░ people make sure that ░░░░░░░░ s exactly what we ░░░░░░░░ RECHENBERG We know that ░░░░░░░░ recruitment numbers have struggled ░░░░░░░░ We ve covered that ░░░░░░░░ I believe it s ░░░░░░░░ all of the branches ░░░░░░░░ the military And Tennessee ░░░░░░░░ Bill Hagerty was on ░░░░░░░░ actually talking about how ░░░░░░░░ s nomination could be ░░░░░░░░ boost for military morale ░░░░░░░░ s watch that Clip ░░░░░░░░ HAGERTY Pete is a ░░░░░░░░ talented individual I talked ░░░░░░░░ him earlier this week ░░░░░░░░ told me Jon about ░░░░░░░░ many people had written ░░░░░░░░ him and said look ░░░░░░░░ was thinking about getting ░░░░░░░░ You know we have ░░░░░░░░ huge recruitment problem a ░░░░░░░░ retention problem in the ░░░░░░░░ I was thinking about ░░░░░░░░ out but now that ░░░░░░░░ ve come to lead ░░░░░░░░ Pete I m going ░░░░░░░░ stay in Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ Corey was that part ░░░░░░░░ the motivation behind the ░░░░░░░░ elect s decision to ░░░░░░░░ Pete Hegseth LEWANDOWSKI I ░░░░░░░░ it s you know ░░░░░░░░ s not the primary ░░░░░░░░ but it s clearly ░░░░░░░░ that s very important ░░░░░░░░ we have a military ░░░░░░░░ the last four years ░░░░░░░░ ve been decimated by ░░░░░░░░ Biden Harris policies the ░░░░░░░░ Afghanistan withdrawal where we ░░░░░░░░ men and women behind ░░░░░░░░ perish And having somebody ░░░░░░░░ who s an outside ░░░░░░░░ box thinker who s ░░░░░░░░ that can relate to ░░░░░░░░ individuals on the ground ░░░░░░░░ the politicians and the ░░░░░░░░ that have traditionally been ░░░░░░░░ this opportunity is really ░░░░░░░░ for those rank and ░░░░░░░░ military officers who are ░░░░░░░░ I m at the ░░░░░░░░ of my tenure Do ░░░░░░░░ want to re up ░░░░░░░░ four more years under ░░░░░░░░ potential Secretary of Defense ░░░░░░░░ Or do I want ░░░░░░░░ go home and find ░░░░░░░░ new opportunity in the ░░░░░░░░ sector And what Pete ░░░░░░░░ is that special special ░░░░░░░░ skill set which is ░░░░░░░░ who s been there ░░░░░░░░ someone who s going ░░░░░░░░ encourage these troops to ░░░░░░░░ the best they can ░░░░░░░░ not as a politician ░░░░░░░░ as one of those ░░░░░░░░ fighters KRAISMAN That s ░░░░░░░░ good point Illinois Senator ░░░░░░░░ Duckworth was on CBS ░░░░░░░░ the weekend where she ░░░░░░░░ to be open to ░░░░░░░░ Trump s cabinet nominees ░░░░░░░░ this Clip starts BRENNAN ░░░░░░░░ you see yourself supporting ░░░░░░░░ or any of the ░░░░░░░░ nominees DUCKWORTH Absolutely You ░░░░░░░░ what I would need ░░░░░░░░ do is have a ░░░░░░░░ to sit down and ░░░░░░░░ with each one of ░░░░░░░░ nominees and listen to ░░░░░░░░ and hear what they ░░░░░░░░ to say Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ So does this give ░░░░░░░░ hope that these nominees ░░░░░░░░ going to get through ░░░░░░░░ the finish line LEWANDOWSKI ░░░░░░░░ I think the reality ░░░░░░░░ is that with 53 ░░░░░░░░ U S senators we ░░░░░░░░ going to get all ░░░░░░░░ our nominees through I ░░░░░░░░ that this isn t ░░░░░░░░ partisan witch hunt that ░░░░░░░░ Democrats vote against the ░░░░░░░░ just on principle and ░░░░░░░░ on the merits So ░░░░░░░░ we saw under the ░░░░░░░░ Administration is that a ░░░░░░░░ of his nominees received ░░░░░░░░ bipartisan support from both ░░░░░░░░ and Republicans because it ░░░░░░░░ the president s prerogative ░░░░░░░░ have his people in ░░░░░░░░ cabinet That is Donald ░░░░░░░░ s prerogative And I ░░░░░░░░ these U S senators ░░░░░░░░ into these confirmation hearings ░░░░░░░░ an open mind and ░░░░░░░░ open heart and understand ░░░░░░░░ the qualifications of these ░░░░░░░░ are commensurate with the ░░░░░░░░ that they re filling ░░░░░░░░ they should be confirmed ░░░░░░░░ the advice and consent ░░░░░░░░ the U S Senate ░░░░░░░░ And again that was ░░░░░░░░ sound bite from a ░░░░░░░░ senator of course A ░░░░░░░░ question about where these ░░░░░░░░ senators fall with these ░░░░░░░░ Do you anticipate any ░░░░░░░░ them holding up some ░░░░░░░░ the nominations based on ░░░░░░░░ you ve seen so ░░░░░░░░ LEWANDOWSKI Well I know ░░░░░░░░ a number of the ░░░░░░░░ senators gave pause and ░░░░░░░░ about then candidate Gaetz ░░░░░░░░ nomination That s obviously ░░░░░░░░ been withdrawn And I ░░░░░░░░ Pam Bondi is going ░░░░░░░░ fly through She s ░░░░░░░░ qualified to be the ░░░░░░░░ general But the Republicans ░░░░░░░░ the Democrats will have ░░░░░░░░ right to ask the ░░░░░░░░ of these nominees of ░░░░░░░░ they re going to ░░░░░░░░ with their allegiances and ░░░░░░░░ their goals are to ░░░░░░░░ our country great again ░░░░░░░░ that s how the ░░░░░░░░ works But I think ░░░░░░░░ and large the Republicans ░░░░░░░░ be deferring to President ░░░░░░░░ because these are his ░░░░░░░░ He s coming to ░░░░░░░░ D C with a ░░░░░░░░ and the people that ░░░░░░░░ s nominating are qualified ░░░░░░░░ these positions So I ░░░░░░░░ we go through a ░░░░░░░░ approval process so we ░░░░░░░░ get started on day ░░░░░░░░ RECHENBERG All right We ░░░░░░░░ just showing some of ░░░░░░░░ nominees there A reminder ░░░░░░░░ s working obviously very ░░░░░░░░ to fill the cabinet ░░░░░░░░ then we ll be ░░░░░░░░ to see the details ░░░░░░░░ the confirmation hearings Corey ░░░░░░░░ thanks so much for ░░░░░░░░ the time with us ░░░░░░░░ morning.”