What’s the big deal about Hegseth?

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Jason - I've been front and center in the effort to defeat Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, and I want to take a minute to answer some questions I've heard posed out there about why I'm picking on poor-ol' Pete Hegseth.  What's the big deal about Hegseth?  For those who haven't been following, let's break it down in three simple points:  Hegseth is the most unfit, unqualified nominee for Secretary of Defense in our nation's history. They want to put him in charge of nearly 3 million people. Hegseth has never successfully run an organization of three dozen.    He has a long track record of bad personal behavior — from public drunkenness (even while on the job) to allegations of sexual assault.    He has no idea what it takes to lead our troops. He's thumbed his nose at the military justice system, once hiring a man who was kicked out of the military for beating up a civilian. He's publicly advocated for removing women from combat (roles many of us have served with honor and distinction for decades). And he's an extreme MAGA partisan on a crusade against the left in America, even saying he wants to fire generals who worked under Democratic presidents, because they're "woke" or something. Isn't the left just so desperate that they'll go after ANYONE Trump picked? Not at all. This is far from a knee-jerk reaction. Just look at the record. Trump's previous SecDef picks, Jim Mattis and Mark Esper, were highly qualified, competent and had sound ethical and moral principles. We may have disagreed with some of their policy advice, but not once did we question their integrity and fitness for the job. And the result was overwhelming bipartisan support in their confirmation: Mattis received the votes of 98 senators. Esper received 90. What evidence do we have that Hegseth would be dangerous for the military? You mean, aside from the guy with allegations of drinking on the job having nukes at his disposal?  It starts with his tendency to ignore and disrespect the military justice system. That might not seem like a big deal, but trust me — it's everything. The military justice system is widely respected (like our own civilian justice system). Its functioning enables the "good order and discipline" that military commanders need from their troops in order for our fighting forces to be effective. It's a big part of what separates our elite armed forces from, say, the Russian army where corruption and chaos can run rampant.  When Hegseth advocates for war criminals to be pardoned, he is undermining our military's ethical core. When he and Trump and Hegseth obsess over perceived masculine strength and rule breaking, it's not just overtly weird. It communicates permission to those who want to violate laws in the pursuit of power. It's no coincidence that they invited to their VIP box at the Army-Navy game a veteran who killed a man on a subway in New York City. They're sending a message that they'll tolerate vigilante justice.  That's not the America I love. And it's certainly not the military I served in.  Don't Trump and Republicans hold all the cards? What difference can we make?  Here's the thing: Unlike Mattis or Esper, there are real cracks in the Senate support for Hegseth. Republican senators have expressed doubts publicly about him. From what I hear, we have a real shot to defeat this nomination. But it's going to take a lot of elbow grease and public shaming to get it done. I'm ready for this fight, if you are. Will you consider making a donation to support our efforts to fight Hegseth and help prevent our military from falling into the hands of an extreme partisan hack?  Thank you,  Amy   DONATE   PAID FOR BY DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY ACTION (DMAPAC.COM) NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. Democratic Majority Action 814 Main St Paris, KY 40361 United States These emails are the single best way to stay up to date on how you can help Democratic Majority Action win elections for Democrats. We know you receive a lot of emails—that's why we strive to treat every supporter's inbox with respect, to always tell you the truth, and to never inundate you with unwanted messages. If you believe you received this message in error or no longer wish to receive these email updates, please can unsubscribe.