Woodward on Trump Keeping Pete Hegseth: He ‘Doesn’t Worry About Incompetence, He Worries About Loyalty’

EXCERPT:

WOODWARD: “Well, I think Trump doesn’t worry about incompetence. He worries about loyalty, and loyalty is the first virtue. And in a situation like this, it’s bad for the country. It is something that a president thinking through the responsibilities of being president. I remember I asked Trump once, what’s the job of the president? And he had a very good answer, which is to protect the people. Protecting the people, when you think about the Pentagon and the military and the Defense Department, you want to make sure it’s competent. You want to make sure that it’s not this kind of boys club of grab rear ends. I mean, it’s just — it doesn’t — it isn’t right. It doesn’t serve Trump, doesn’t serve the country, doesn’t serve, you know — I spent five years in the Navy. And I worked the last year in the Pentagon, and you learn about obligation, you learn about how important the task is, and that means serious getting down to dealing with the business in the most careful and constructive and creative way. And I don’t see any of that now.”