Over the past few weeks, President-elect Donald Trump has been announcing his choices for his 2nd presidential administration. His choice for Secretary of Defense is Fox News host Pete Hegseth.
But a resurfaced video of Hegseth sharing his thoughts during the 2016 presidential campaign may sour his popularity with Trump and his MAGA minions.
On Tuesday, CNN correspondent Andrew Kaczynski shared his findings about Hegseth on OutFront.
Kaczynski reported:
"He was harshly, harshly critical of Trump in the 2016 Republican primary for lacking national security experience."
"He mocked Trump for relying on the cable news for military advice. He attacked Trump for opposing the Iraq War. He attacked Trump for saying the U.S. shouldn’t have gone into Afghanistan. And then Trump reversed himself on that."
Then the video of Hegseth from August 2015 was played.
Hegseth: Typical Trump. All bluster, very low substance… he’s an armchair tough guy. This is a guy who said that John McCain is not a war hero yet he sought his own five military deferments
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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) December 3, 2024 at 7:37 PM
In it, Hegseth said:
"You wouldn’t want a top-tier presidential candidate getting all of their military advice from watching Meet the Press. There’s a lot more nuance. There’s a lot more detail."
"Foreign policy and national security is not about TV shows… They’re gonna have to walk back a little bit from this idea that he gets it from the political shows."
In a separate video of Hegseth from March 2016, he said of Trump:
"It’s typical Trump, all bluster, very little substance."
"He talks a tough game. But then when pressed on it, he’s an armchair tough guy."
"I hate to say it, but this is a guy, who said that John McCain is not a war hero. Yet he sought his own five military deferments."
People were unsurprised to find hypocrisy and a lack of integrity in a Trump cabinet nominee.
GOP before tRump won the nomination in 2016 told truths about who Trump really is. That same GOP is following him to implement a fascist dictatorship.
— Reggie Meneses, E-RYT 500, YACEP (@justsayreg.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 9:52 AM
Trump is selecting people who have not earned their way to the top. He also like a certain appearance that Fox news also likes. He likes if the person is vulnerable so easily manipulated. Much like Trump himself is beholden to Putin.
— Chris Reed (@eeesq.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 9:53 AM
Trump especially loves the guys who eventually come around to kiss the ring.
— The Moderate Liberal (@themoderate.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 9:10 AM
They all despise Trump—every single one of his picks, from Vance on down. That’s the silver lining: respect can’t be bought.
— aka stardust (@akastardust.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 6:59 AM
Well that should be enough for him to fall out of favor
— StuffbyStef🐚🌊🪸✍🏻 (@stephaniebumpus.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 10:55 AM
I know that video was from 8 years ago, but how do you go from criticizing him to kissing his ass. I'm trying to figure out what kind of brain washing they doing. It's like the Invasion of the Body Snatchers or something.
— Justin Richmond (@10thletter.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 1:57 AM
Republicans seem to stand for nothing and fall for anything. They have no integrity, no morals, no values. Everything is subject to change in service to Trump.
— Noelle Schultz (@nrvschultz.bsky.social) December 3, 2024 at 9:20 PM
The cool thing about serving in a Trump administration is you don’t need any convictions of your own— the boss has enough to go around.
— George Spiggott (@gspiggott.bsky.social) December 3, 2024 at 9:14 PM
Hegseth—like many of Trump's choices—has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. But the Fox & Friends weekend cohost has other obstacles to Senate confirmation to overcome.
He also faces allegations of sexual assault, documented Islamophobic comments, mismanagement of two veterans organizations, alcohol abuse, criticism over his treatment of women by his own mother, and a series of failed marriages due to infidelity.
None of those are likely to bother Trump.
But calling Trump "an armchair tough guy" just might.
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Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images