Duckworth: Trump’s Pick for Defense Secretary Would Be Dangerous for Our Country and National Security

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee—issued the following statement reacting to President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to tap Pete Hegseth to serve as our nation’s next Secretary of the Defense Department:

“This pick is dangerous, plain and simple. Being Secretary of Defense is a very serious job, and putting someone as dangerously unqualified as Pete Hegseth into that role is something that should scare all of us. By choosing to put a TV personality with little experience running much of anything in charge of the Defense Department’s almost 3 million troops and civilian employees, Donald Trump is once again proving he cares more about his MAGA base than keeping our nation safe—and our troops, our military families and our national security will pay the price.

“Our troops and our country deserve better. In this moment, my Republican colleagues must recognize the danger that confirming a wholly unqualified Secretary of Defense nominee would put our country in, stop rolling over for Donald Trump and oppose this nomination.”

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