Following a tense Pentagon press conference where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed the articles of impeachment filed against him are an attack on the US troops, MS NOW’s Mika Brezinski read a text she received from a Republican who was disgusted.
Immediately after Hegseth bolted away from the lectern, MS NOW’s Jonathan Lemire was quick to observe, “He took a few questions there; they're very friendly questions, I will note after his opening remarks about the impeachment effort underway on Capitol Hill.”
He added, “And he, of course, was very defensive in terms of the impeachment inquiry, suggesting it was a win for our adversaries to make him and his president weaker. And he, as he did repeatedly, every opportunity, praise the leadership of President Donald J. Trump.”
Co-host Brzezinski chimed in, “So a very defensive and defiant former Fox News host, and got to just pull back a little bit looking at that performance. When you think about those who have held that position, Jim Mattis, Bob Gates, other cabinet secretaries, Henry Kissinger, Brent Scowcroft, my dad, Zbigniew Brzezinski. And then you listen to Hegseth.”
“It is a little embarrassing, I have to say, to hear him talk and to hear him talk about members serving in uniform,” she added. “I got a text from a Republican who served in the DoD and worked on Capitol Hill.”
Reading from her phone, she said, “Hegseth’s speech summarized this way: ‘Mr. President, please don't let me go. Pathetic to see him cowering behind those in uniform.’”
The MS NOW host added, “And that is the big point here. This was not for the media. I don't even think it was for the American people. I think it was for one person and that would be Donald J. Trump. What's going to matter here is, is the president going to think this performance was anything but embarrassing and desperate and groveling, almost? It was childish at times. The language he used, the way he described some of the actions that the department took.”