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The Left wants to investigate the Cabinet candidates with a fine-tooth comb, and lumping together these two candidates, Pete Hegseth and Matt Gaetz, is totally inappropriate. I may be biased in my view, since I’ve followed Hegseth for years on Fox News, but that has allowed me to see aspects of him that those who are not Fox fans may miss.
But let’s look at both candidates—
Matt Gaetz has offended many people in Congress. In other words, he doesn’t play well with others. Now that may be considered an attribute by some, since he will probably be expected to wreak havoc as the Attorney General, and I’m all for his upsetting the apple cart. And I’m also willing to acknowledge Mollie Hemingway’s defense of him—that the witnesses who have launched accusations against him were already shown earlier to be very questionable. But one of my biggest concerns is his lack of knowledge about the role of the Attorney General. How much will he be able to rely on those in the DOJ to support him and help him find his way through the morass of Justice? His arrogance and stubbornness will not serve him well when he needs at least a few supporters. And his experience as a lawyer is extremely limited.
Pete Hegseth, on the other hand, has some of the same liabilities as Gaetz, but not as substantial, in my belief. He had a questionable sexual liaison, which may or may not have been rape. But his qualifications for the Department of Defense are far superior to Gaetz’s ability to navigate Justice. Hegseth will likely have plenty of supporters in the DOD, out of respect for his military service and recognition. One other factor that I think should count is that Hegseth is a Christian. He has led a few programs on Fox News where he has professed his faith, and I believe that he’s sincere. Although he can be brash, he also is known to be collegial and passionate about the military. And I believe he will find plenty of people in the DOD to help him navigate the politics and the operations.
Finally, when I look at both men, I personally want Trump to select people who are men or women of character.
I think that Pete Hegseth passes that test; I don’t think that Matt Gaetz does.
Discussion (214)
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There two kinds of CEOs (1) build and grow (2) restructure. Our institutions do not need friendly "build and grow" heads. They need the restructure kind of CEO that comes in for a short period of time, fires anyone that only cares about protecting their turf, and gets rid of anyone not capable of dramatic change. We need Gaetz to restructure for 18 months to put the DOJ into a position where it can build and grow in the right direction.
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It's going to be tough for him to get stuff done, since he's going to meet a lot of subtle opposition. It could be a real slog.
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I like this take:
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Anyone with that accurate assessment of Garland probably also assessed Gaetz correctly.
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Sessions and Barr meet your moral criteria. How much did they clean up?
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