'You've done your genuflecting': Pete Hegseth called out for groveling to Trump at hearing
January 14, 2025
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) called out defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth for "genuflecting" to President-elect Donald Trump instead of saying he would obey the U.S. Constitution.
During Tuesday's Senate confirmation hearing, Slotkin noted "that no president has the right to use the uniform military in a way that violates the U.S. Constitution and further taints the military as that apolitical institution that we all want."
"As the secretary of defense, you will be the one man standing in the breach should President Trump give an illegal order," she said. "Do you agree that there are some orders that can be given by the commander-in-chief that would violate the U.S. Constitution?"
"I reject the premise that President Trump is going to be giving illegal orders," Hegseth replied.
"I'm not saying he will," Slotkin stated. "Right, OK, so are you saying that you would stand in the breach and push back if you were given an illegal order?"
"I start by saying I reject the premise that President Trump will be giving any illegal orders at all," Hegseth insisted.
"I understand. You've done your genuflecting to him," Slotkin interrupted. "This isn't a hypothetical, OK? Your predecessor in a Trump administration, Secretary Esper, was asked and did not use uniformed military to clear unarmed protesters."
"He was given the order to potentially shoot at them," she continued. "[Helicopters] flew low in Washington D.C. as crowd control. He later apologized publicly for those actions. Was he right or wrong to apologize?"
Hegseth, however, dodged the question.
"I'm not going to put words in the mouth of Secretary Esper or anybody else from this podium," the former Fox News host opined.
"What are you scared of?" the senator asked.
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"I'm not scared of anything, Senator," Hegseth asserted.
"Then say yes or no," Slotkin said. "You can say no."
"I'm interested in upholding the laws and the Constitution in any particular scenario," Hegseth remarked.
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