Yesterday, into the evening in fact it looked like Pete Hegseth’s nomination to head the DOD was doomed. With names of possible replacement picks being floated it sure looked for all the world like Trump was looking for an off-ramp. Senators were privately voicing strong concerns and it looked like even before any confirmation hearings at least four and perhaps six Senators were firmly in the “no way” camp. Quite a few others were clearly troubled and again, seemed to be signaling to Hegseth (whether at Trump’s suggestion or not we don’t know) to spare Trump and themselves from an ugly spectable. Lindsey Graham, sometimes a ‘Lemming’ and sometimes a ‘Lamprey’ was one of those who up until last night had reservations, but now? If we get to a confirmation hearing I’m thinking we’ll see the Graham that went full-on rabid attack dog like he did for Brewski Brett Kavanaugh.
The Daily Beast has an article which describes the sudden shift from Graham. What a difference a day makes. In an interview with CBS on Tuesday Graham called the reports about Hegseth “very disturbing” – the linked article doesn’t say if he went full Susan Collins with ‘furrowed brow’ but does say:
“Some of this stuff, is going to be difficult,” he said, alluding to confirmation hearings that would likely touch on the allegations against Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host. “Some of the things have to be addressed.”
See for yourself (the volume is low – sorry):
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told CBS News' @MacFarlaneNews on Tuesday that some of the reported allegations of misconduct against Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, are "disturbing" and will be hard to defend.
Graham, who served in the… pic.twitter.com/o9OElt4SE8
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 3, 2024
So as of Tuesday Graham, who served as a JAG Officer during a thirty year career (Reserves) said he was unaware of this stuff about a guy (Hegseth) he’d known for a very long time. But it was important for women in the military to have the right kind of leadership. Leadership that respected their capabilities and contributions. Not to mention overall good order and discipline. Now to me this sounds like a Senator being diplomatic to a nominee he knows personally (Hegseth lest we forget has had a gig on Fox) suggesting it was time to withdraw rather than force Trump to engage in a confirmation war. ‘Discretion is the better part of Valor’ and all that. It’s not like Hegseth wouldn’t wind up okay next year when the dust settled.
Well, a lot can happen in even a single day and yesterday, Wednesday Graham was singing a very different tune. In fact he made a point of belting out his new song ‘None Of It Counts’ to Fox’s Sean Hannity. In prime time! Oh my. Graham talked of things like ‘if you’re not willing to raise your right hand and say it under oath it’s nothing and doesn’t count’, and went into a full-blown dismissal of allegations against Hegseth. It was a wholesale effort of attempting to, with Hannity’s help to sweep all the sordid stuff we’ve learned (who knows what’s yet to come?) under the rug:
Senator @LindseyGrahamSC: “I’ve known @PeteHegseth for a long time. I served with him in Afghanistan. The people over there said nothing but great things about him. The allegations against Pete are all anonymous sources. I am not going to make ANY decision based on an anonymous… pic.twitter.com/1FzraUniOj
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) December 5, 2024
Graham added a statement that ‘if you’re not willing to make the accusation under oath then it doesn’t count.’ Of course, he and Hannity skipped over a pretty important detail:
What he and Hannity did not note is that Hegseth’s accuser in the 2017 case—which did not lead to charges after a police investigation—signed a nondisclosure agreement as part of a settlement and therefore is likely prohibited from speaking out.
That NDA has gotten some attention this week and it’s going to get more. Questions about how much the woman was paid, whether Hegseth will release her from the terms of the NDA etc. have been stonewalled. In addition to all that we have the new information about Hegseth’s behavior at Fox itself, his tenure at two Veteran’s non-profits (leaving out the drinking and sexual abuse stuff, if he can’t run a small non-profit how the hell can he run something as big as the DOD?) and it’s clear we’ve only learned part of this story.
As late as yesterday evening I assumed that before the close of business tomorrow Hegseth would have withdrawn his name from consideration. Now? I don’t think it’s an accident that Graham went on freaking Sean Hannity’s show to engage in some major defense of the nomination. I simply don’t believe he’d have done so without orders from, or at least permission from Trump. I’ll bet anyone reading this feels the same. So it sure seems like Trump isn’t ready to throw in the towel on this nomination. At least not yet.
We’ll see how this plays with Senators who behind the scenes have made it known they won’t vote to confirm Hegseth. I for one think they will come to the same conclusion I just wrote about – that Graham’s appearance and statements on Hannity was Trump publicly signaling he wanted to keep pushing this sorry-assed excuse of a nominee. If Trump pushes things enough we actually get to having a confirmation hearing in January watch out. The fireworks will I predict be epic.
Remember the Kavanaugh hearings? How it was Graham who went from collapsed on his proverbial fainting couch to “Lamprey Lindsey’ baring all those rows of teeth the lamprey eel (ok, it’s not technically an eel but close enough) and turning the tables? Get ready folks because that might be what we see. Graham has shifted into attack mode. Maybe Kavanaugh wants an equally powerful pal in the DC upper crust to pound back beers with and leer at and or attack women. Kavanaugh and Hegseth could be the new ‘Gold Dust’, or perhaps ‘Golden Shower’ Twins. With Graham being the one who made it all possible.
It’s going to be an interesting rest of the week to be sure. Between Graham going on Fox, and them also having Hegseth’s mom on to try and rehab her son’s image it sure seems to me like Trump isn’t ready to give up on this nomination. Stay tuned.
I wonder why Trump is so stuck on Hegseth? Is it simply ego (he doesn’t want to back down)? Or is it something more than that? I mean most people say “Pick your battles.” Trump is more inclined to the Roy Cohen approach, “always double down.” But still, Hegseth?
Additional thought: Trump’s fight for Hegseth reminds me of Putin. It’s not a sign of strength, it’s a sign of desperation. I think he likets Hegseth precisely because he’s such a dork — in no position to challenge Trump, will owe Trump big time. The most “reasonable” replacement, De Santis, scares the sh-t out of Trump because the appointmentn would boost DS’s presidential hopes, . AS incompetent as DS is, he is Superman compared to Hegseth. Plus Trump despises DS.
lindsey…a pillar of stren…er…salt.
T has most certainly got something on Lindsey, all he has to do is snap his fingers and Graham switches in midair.
Trump uses people. like a pimp uses his whores. And so, Miz Lindsey passed through her useless phase until Trump needed to pimp her out again to do his bidding in the senate. That’s it.