Pete Hegseth will be confirmed as secretary of defense after he did a very good job at his confirmation hearing in the Senate yesterday, Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told Newsmax on Wednesday.
Rounds, who is a member of the Armed Services Committee that held the hearing, told "Wake Up America" that "I thought [Hegseth] did a very good job … he had the opportunity to express what he wanted to do in the Department of Defense. He wants to make it lethal once again … [and] he wants parents to know that their young men and women … will not only be well led but will be well trained and have the best equipment possible."
Rounds also stressed that Hegseth "did a very good job of deflecting with regard to … his personal life and kept refocusing on how he would operate within the Department of Defense and what he would bring to the table," which is what the public is actually interested in knowing.
The senator reiterated, "I think Pete Hegseth, based on everything that's occurred so far and his performance yesterday, I think he will be confirmed," adding that "he should be one of the first ones confirmed once President[-elect] Donald Trump is inaugurated."
Rounds was also impressed by the emphasis Hegseth put on his goals for the Pentagon, including reducing the unnecessary bloat that exists there.
The senator emphasized that "we can do better. We've got to refocus about where we want to put our resources that are limited. … Let's redirect a lot of the $850 billion budget … and let's make sure the money is going to the right places."
Rounds said the country must "get the focus back on actually delivering to the guys on the ground. That is where Pete Hegseth is the best. He was on the ground. He understands what would get to the guys on the ground" and what needs to be done to better the efficiency in doing so.
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Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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