Pete Hegseth's inability to answer basic geopolitical questions left Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) "flabbergasted," she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday evening.
This came after a tense confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill before the Senate Armed Services Committee, where Hegseth, the embattled nominee for President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of Defense, was asked by Duckworth to name how many countries are in the Alliance of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. He proceeded to name three countries that aren't in the alliance.
"All right," said Blitzer. "So we just heard that exchange. You had that little exchange you had with Hegseth. Were you surprised he wasn't able to answer your question?"
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"I'm flabbergasted that he was not able to answer a very simple question, and that especially since he actually mentioned the importance of the Indo-Pacific in his opening statement," said Duckworth, herself a disabled veteran and the only senator of southeast Asian descent.
"But, you know, he also couldn't tell me what are some of the ways that a secretary of Defense would lead international negotiations with our allies, either," she added. "So, I mean, some very basic things that anybody who wants to be Secretary of Defense should be able to answer. And for him to not even know a single nation out of the 10 in ASEAN speaks very loudly to his lack of qualifications for the job."
Hegseth is facing a number of other controversies as he seeks confirmation, including allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse, which he denies.
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