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Hegseth Comments On CNN
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Hegseth Comments On CNN

Pete Hegseth, the decorated Army veteran and President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, kept his responses sharp and succinct when confronted by reporters during a busy day on Capitol Hill.

Amidst a whirlwind of meetings with senators ahead of his confirmation hearings, Hegseth was unfazed by attempts to provoke him over past comments highlighted in a recent CNN report.

Captured on video by a former colleague, Fox News host Will Cain, Hegseth delivered an unambiguous answer to one reporter’s question about LGBTQ service members in the military: “Yes,” he replied when asked whether gay individuals should be allowed to serve openly.

But it was the follow-up—prompting him to respond to CNN’s reporting on his previous statements—that Hegseth brushed aside without hesitation.

“I don’t feel the need to respond to CNN,” he said firmly before continuing down the hallway. Despite further attempts by the reporter to revisit the topic, Hegseth redirected the conversation and kept his composure, maintaining his focus on his Capitol Hill agenda.

Hegseth’s disciplined approach carried over when discussing his bipartisan outreach during the day’s meetings. “There’s nothing political about the DOD,” he remarked, emphasizing his commitment to ensuring the Department of Defense operates beyond partisan divides. “Meeting with Democrats just like I’m meeting with Republicans is a huge part of our approach.”

Cain, who shared the video clip of the hallway exchange, criticized CNN’s reporting in his commentary, calling it emblematic of the decline of legacy media from "biased" to "irrelevant." Hegseth’s refusal to be drawn into the fray underscores his intention to focus on the task at hand—earning Senate approval and preparing to lead the Pentagon during Trump’s second term.

Written by Arthur Higgens - December 15, 2024