MSNBC anchor Lawrence O’Donnell lamented on Wednesday that Donald Trump has “lowered the standards of American politics,” citing the lack of “serious” questions at the confirmation hearing for Trump’s Defense Secretary pick, Pete Hegseth.
O’Donnell echoed the words of Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who, during the hearing, asked Hegseth: “How can we ask these warriors to train and perform the absolute highest standards when you are asking us to lower the standards to make you the Secretary of Defense simply because you are buddies with our President-elect?”
“Lower the standards. That is what Donald Trump has done every day of his political life. That is what Republican senators did today for the job of Secretary of Defense the United States of America. Lower the standards,” O’Donnell said.
Watch the eviscerating “Last Word” segment below:
The anchor went on to say, “The vote in the Senate on the Hegseth nomination is going to be a vote to lower the standards. Republicans, who are constantly claiming to believe in nothing but meritocracy, will vote to lower the standards, and Democrats will vote to preserve the standards.”
During the hearing, Hegseth was questioned by Sen. Tim Kaine — Hillary Clinton’s former running mate — about cheating on his second wife and fathering a child with his now-third wife. Hegeth also denied reports from colleagues about his alleged drinking, inappropriate behavior at a strip club and saying at one point, “Kill all Muslims.”
Duckworth, who, as O’Donnell pointed out, lost both of her legs in combat as a helicopter pilot, also reprimanded Hegseth for his stance that women should not serve in combat roles in the military.
The nominee, who is a former Fox News host, said in a podcast hosted by Shawn Ryan on Nov. 7, “I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn’t made us more effective. Hasn’t made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated.”
Duckworth told Hegseth on Tuesday, “You can’t seem to grasp that there is no U.S. military as we know it, without the incredible women that we serve, women who earned their place in their units, you have not earned your place as Secretary of Defense.”
