Major Red Flag: Team Trump Seeks to Block Hegseth FBI Report

Something very disturbing lurks within Peter Hegseth’s FBI background file, and that’s shocking given the already-jolting rancid mess the general public knows about the man already – the rape allegation, the obvious drinking, an adult life drowned in alcohol and extra-marital affairs – kids everywhere, the lack of any real leadership experience in or out of the military, and that sinking and dispiriting belief that Hegseth’s nomination rests on little more than the fact that he tore into anything even appearing “woke” like very few others – even though no one else really had such a platform.  All of this is known and just so obviously disqualifying that a person should be hurling in five different directions. Stunningly, it now appears there is something even worse in Hegseth’s FBI background check. The Trump team is going to some extremes to keep the information out of Senators’ eyes, never mind the public. So bad on so many levels.

The report in Axios makes the whole thing seem as nothing much more than a convenient test of Republican Senate loyalty. But that doesn’t sound right. Too many things have to come together at the right time for that to make much sense. Besides, they can pick any nomination on which to test loyalty  Per Axios: 

Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing is becoming a test of will for Republicans on ensuring FBI files aren’t distributed throughout the entire Senate. That means no FBI background check access for rank-and-file senators, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Senate Armed Services chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and ranking member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) have been briefed on the report. Others have not.

Momentarily set aside the fact that background checks have, literally, been an entry-level requirement for every decent government job for a long period, hiding a check doesn’t actually indicate that the Trump Team has extra strength strength in a battle of wills. It sounds more like a weakness.

There is a problem when a new team is so scared of looking dopey that they’ll put hiding facts behind, well – the facts. Any new administration should want the background check so as to be sure that nothing was missed in granting a position that is subject to blackmail with the possibility of “mistakes” missed along the way – why are they afraid of something popping up?

If something is encountered along the way, isn’t it stronger to say, “Well, we weren’t aware of this but now having seen it, we’re are extremely comfortable with saying that the country comes first and we will not be putting forth this nomination. To the extent it might look bad, tough – we’re going to do what’s right.” It would be the “stronger” thing to do. Project confidence.

A member of the Trump transition sat in on the FBI background briefing on Hegseth’s file, a source familiar told Axios. The senators weren’t given a copy of the file. They also weren’t allowed to take notes or pictures.

Okay – now we at least likely have the “source” of this stuff, someone in and around the Senators, most likely in and around Jack Reed, the Rhode Island Democrat. It is unlikely to come from Roger Wicker’s office – though not entirely impossible, it could be someone wanting to protect their back. It is unlikely to come from the FBI, indeed – that might truly be impossible. What we know to be true is that the incoming Trump team somehow got a seat at the table, knows of the matter, and knows it is bad enough that they’re going to battle. It is bad enough such that they’re willing to take their focus off the stuff that is already out there – stuff that would surely have disqualified any nominee to date.

Again, the sad thing is that if one really wanted to put the country first – and no position screams, “Country First” than the Secretary of Defense, the incoming team should want the background check, and then want to pull the nomination if there’s a truly big issue lurking below. This guy’s own mother called him as being undeserving of the title of her son (Figuratively) out a year ago and yet the administration wants senators tested over keeping his file secret? No. It is not a test. It is out of necessity.

Something very very dark is lurking in that file and why the new administration wants this early test is beyond my ability to explain it.

God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and on “X” at @JasonMiciak and on now on Bluesky

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