Hegseth’s hearing showed standards matter, just not for him

IN PETE Hegseth, president-elect Donald Trump has nominated a loyalist who will seek to remake the American military in the image of Maga (Make America Great Again). During a four-hour confirmation hearing, Hegseth, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran and former Fox News host, framed the current military as overrun by unqualified weaklings who have sacrificed the readiness and lethality of the world’s best fighting force on the altar of their woke agenda.

Sounding every bit like the partisan he has been on television and in several books, Hegseth and his GOP allies railed against Democratic presidents, the left-wing media, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives, critical race theory and suggested that women’s presence in combat forces might mean lowered standards. Hegseth pledged to remake the supposed substandard ranks of men and women even as he failed to demonstrate his own qualifications for the job.

“Our standards will be high, and they will be equal (not equitable, that is a very different word),” he said in his opening statement. “We need to make sure every warrior is fully qualified on their assigned weapon system, every pilot is fully qualified and current on the aircraft they are flying, and every general or flag officer is selected for leadership based purely on performance, readiness, and merit.”