For much of the Democratic Party’s base, there’s anguish and frustration over the party’s lawmakers and the limits of their powers on Capitol Hill. Especially on key issues such as the war in Iran, Democratic officials tend to say the right things, and at least make an effort by forcing occasional votes on measures such as war powers resolutions. But life in the minority is inherently difficult, and the party lacks access to the levers of power.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, however, has a very different perspective on the potency of congressional Democrats. In fact, he sees them as having vast powers that the party is exercising in dangerous ways.
In a genuinely strange display Wednesday, he appeared before the House Armed Services Committee. The beleaguered Pentagon chief didn’t just clash with Democrats who want to see the unnecessary war in Iran come to an end, he also publicly argued that the war’s opponents have become an obstacle to victory.
“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats, and some Republicans,” the former Fox News host said. A Politico report noted soon after, “Hegseth’s decision to label critics as short-sighted and unpatriotic pulls a page from President Donald Trump’s playbook: when threatened, attack. But the Defense secretary’s attempt to equate Democrats with enemy troops elevates his rhetoric to a new level.”
A day later, Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee and pushed the same message. The New York Times summarized:
At the hearing’s outset, Mr. Hegseth condemned members of Congress who have questioned or challenged the Iran war, just as he did a day earlier during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.
“I’ll say it again today, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” he said.
The rhetoric was radical, though Hegseth appeared quite serious about the claim.
The secretary didn’t fully flesh out the argument in practical terms, which made it that much worse. Hegseth could have at least tried to explain how and why public criticisms of the war have an impact on the overall mission, but he preferred instead to simply whine about the fact that some Americans dare to share beliefs he disagrees with — as if this were a free country or something.
Indeed, one of the aspects of the Pentagon chief’s message that was so jarring was the degree to which it was at odds with traditional standards of patriotism. To hear Hegseth tell it, the nation’s “biggest adversary” isn’t found in Tehran, Moscow or Beijing. Rather, the defense secretary sees Americans as an enemy to be defeated, or at least bullied into silence.
Hegseth appears to envision a political environment in which people say what he says, believes what he believes and supports what he supports. Confronted with people who have the audacity to criticize a misguided war of choice, the secretary seems convinced that if they’d just shut up and do what they’re told, everything would be fine.
It was a timely reminder that when he agreed to serve in the White House Cabinet, Hegseth made a poor career choice, taking on responsibilities he still doesn’t fully understand.
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