Bulwark’s Sam Stein: Pete Hegseth Just Doesn’t Have the Qualifications To Be Defense Secretary

GEIST So you know ░░░░░░░░ Stein yeah Todd Young ░░░░░░░░ last week that he ░░░░░░░░ going to support Pete ░░░░░░░░ in this vote Last ░░░░░░░░ we should point out ░░░░░░░░ Senator Dave McCormick the ░░░░░░░░ incoming senator that he ░░░░░░░░ here now incoming senator ░░░░░░░░ Pennsylvania who is also ░░░░░░░░ combat veteran he voted ░░░░░░░░ move forward to the ░░░░░░░░ vote but also has ░░░░░░░░ his support for Pete ░░░░░░░░ So do you see ░░░░░░░░ derailing Hegseth confirmation at ░░░░░░░░ point And if not ░░░░░░░░ are as Jon pointed ░░░░░░░░ where are Republicans looking ░░░░░░░░ next Thursday six days ░░░░░░░░ now you have the ░░░░░░░░ hearings for both Tulsi ░░░░░░░░ and Kash Patel Are ░░░░░░░░ Republicans holding their no ░░░░░░░░ perhaps for one of ░░░░░░░░ two nominees STEIN Well ░░░░░░░░ of all when do ░░░░░░░░ get to Blake Lively ░░░░░░░░ that s why Laughter ░░░░░░░░ Keep your powder dry ░░░░░░░░ STEIN Let s be ░░░░░░░░ I was asked to ░░░░░░░░ about one thing this ░░░░░░░░ On the Hegseth nomination ░░░░░░░░ think this is not ░░░░░░░░ because obviously there are ░░░░░░░░ Republican senators who have ░░░░░░░░ out in opposition to ░░░░░░░░ but when you see ░░░░░░░░ Alex said when you ░░░░░░░░ Thom Tillis statement it ░░░░░░░░ clear to me that ░░░░░░░░ he s saying in ░░░░░░░░ is I m open ░░░░░░░░ but I haven t ░░░░░░░░ anything yet that will ░░░░░░░░ me from voting for ░░░░░░░░ And we got hints ░░░░░░░░ that the expectation is ░░░░░░░░ very narrow vote potentially ░░░░░░░░ 50 vote but that ░░░░░░░░ will be confirmed ultimately ░░░░░░░░ notable here look obviously ░░░░░░░░ s a ton of ░░░░░░░░ around this This has ░░░░░░░░ an incredibly messy confirmation ░░░░░░░░ But I thought Collins ░░░░░░░░ was the most notable ░░░░░░░░ which is I don ░░░░░░░░ believe you in essence ░░░░░░░░ don t believe your ░░░░░░░░ that you say you ░░░░░░░░ had on women in ░░░░░░░░ are real And it ░░░░░░░░ to the fundamental issue ░░░░░░░░ Hegseth that wasn t ░░░░░░░░ essence you know convincing ░░░░░░░░ for all Republicans which ░░░░░░░░ that he s not ░░░░░░░░ compared to anyone else ░░░░░░░░ this post qualified for ░░░░░░░░ He just doesn t ░░░░░░░░ the qualifications for it ░░░░░░░░ got overshadowed by some ░░░░░░░░ the more salacious allegations ░░░░░░░░ him which in a ░░░░░░░░ actually allowed Republicans to ░░░░░░░░ over that the other ░░░░░░░░ issue Now Willie as ░░░░░░░░ your other point like ░░░░░░░░ does this mean for ░░░░░░░░ nominations I ve been ░░░░░░░░ to Republicans on the ░░░░░░░░ the biggest one that ░░░░░░░░ think is at risk ░░░░░░░░ be Tulsi Gabbard s ░░░░░░░░ she s not had ░░░░░░░░ confirmation hearing meetings with ░░░░░░░░ that have gone well ░░░░░░░░ the others have In ░░░░░░░░ some of the senators ░░░░░░░░ left those meetings saying ░░░░░░░░ still have questions that ░░░░░░░░ need to answer I ░░░░░░░░ in a briefing with ░░░░░░░░ Republican member of Congress ░░░░░░░░ went through all of ░░░░░░░░ controversial ones Hegseth RFK ░░░░░░░░ Patel and they were ░░░░░░░░ bullish on all of ░░░░░░░░ And then it got ░░░░░░░░ Gabbard and it s ░░░░░░░░ you know she still ░░░░░░░░ work to do But ░░░░░░░░ also talked to and ░░░░░░░░ ll shut up after ░░░░░░░░ but I also talked ░░░░░░░░ a lobbyist a Republican ░░░░░░░░ on the Hill who ░░░░░░░░ the issue here is ░░░░░░░░ if any of these ░░░░░░░░ go down it hurts ░░░░░░░░ Thune and John Thune ░░░░░░░░ to deliver these nominees ░░░░░░░░ Trump and the establishment ░░░░░░░░ want Thune to remain ░░░░░░░░ majority leader So they ░░░░░░░░ that other calculation that ░░░░░░░░ have to consider when ░░░░░░░░ this vote.”