Pete Hegseth unnerves columnist with 'frankly weird' reliance on wife

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has increasingly been leaning on his wife to make crucial military decisions — and it's disconcerting to Salon writer Amanda Marcotte.

"Hegseth’s top adviser appears to be Jennifer Hegseth, his current wife and a former Fox News producer," wrote Marcotte. "Press coverage of this marital-work arrangement leans on euphemisms like 'unorthodox' or that it 'draws scrutiny,' but that underplays how frankly weird it is for the defense secretary to have his wife constantly at his side, managing his affairs and advising him on military matters, even though she is not on the Pentagon payroll and she has no experience with the military."

This state of affairs, which was first highlighted by the Signalgate scandal that revealed Hegseth has been sharing highly sensitive national defense plans in group chats online with family and friends, is particularly ironic seeing as Hegseth has constantly faced scrutiny for his conduct with women, ranging from sexual misconduct allegations that were settled out of court to his belief women shouldn't serve in combat roles and his adherence to a church that believes women shouldn't have the right to vote — though he has tried to distance himself that particular view.

It's also alarming, Marcotte argued, because Hegseth himself has little experience in military strategy; while he was an Army National Guard infantry officer, his main career highlight was serving as a Fox News personality.

"It’s bad enough that Trump appointed a wholly unqualified Fox News weekend host who is more worried about fighting phantom 'woke' than protecting national security," wrote Marcotte. "That he relies on his wife for advice instead of experienced professionals — who he seems to view with loathing — only shows how terrifyingly bad Hegseth is at even the most basic of his job requirements."

"As it turns out, all this contempt that leaders of the religious right have for a woman’s capabilities miraculously dries up the second her intelligence can be used to serve a man and not herself," Marcotte added. "It makes sense why men would want all this unpaid labor directed toward their professional ambitions. But most women who sign up for this would have better lives if they used their talents for their own careers. A paycheck and recognition for your work is worth more than being reduced to a mere helpmeet."