So far?
THAT has NOT been the case….
Promising NOT to drink will change everything for this guy?
For Trump this is about HIM….
Not the nation’s Defense Dept….
The idea that Hegseth will wear out the Senate points to a bet that the US Senate IS completely stupid….
Marc Caputo: “There are few political acts that Trump values more than defiance in the face of media scrutiny. And Hegseht’s charge on Thursday—clearly directed at an audience in Mar-a-Lago—bought him both time and goodwill. After rampant speculation that he could soon drop his nomination, there is little expectation of that now. In fact, Trump’s transition team has settled on two theories for why Hegseth should stay in: time and magnetism.”
“Aides believe that the longer Hegseth remains in contention for the post, the higher his chances of confirmation will be, simply because it subjects GOP senators to a sustained pressure campaign from the MAGA base, and because many will have a hard time scuttling him in a public vote. Those aides also believe that if Hegseth is drawing fire from critics, there will be less attention and heat on Trump’s other controversial nominees like Kash Patel (FBI), Tulsi Gabbard (director of national intelligence), or Robert Kennedy Jr. (HHS).”
Said a senior Trump adviser: “Hegseth is a heatshield. Pete can take the heat, and that’s better for everyone else.”
Politicalwire…
….
But merely having to present the details of his defense implicates the political maxim that when you’re explaining, you’re losing.
“The best set of facts for Hegseth is he fucked a married woman while he was hammered in his hotel room and she was embarrassed and [she] came up with this story that he drugged her to hide it from her husband,” said an aide to a senator who supports Hegseth’s nomination. “Of course, when he says all that, he has to admit that his latest baby mama was taking care of his kid. And, oh yeah, he knocked her up while cheating on his second wife. And he cheated on his first wife with the second one.”
Even the best spin, in other words, is suboptimal.
Some Trump advisers have referred to Hegseth’s situation as “Gaetz 2.0,” a reference to former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was so dogged by his own sex scandal that he and Trump pulled the plug on his attorney general nomination eight days after he was named. Trump replaced Gaetz with Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general who is respected and liked by Republicans. Her confirmation is expected to sail through….
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Let’s get this straight: Pete Hegseth used to drink too much and couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. He’d make a great senator.”
— Former GOP Senate aide Mike Davis, on X, suggesting senators operate with a moral double standard.