Trump defense secretary nominee Hegseth an ‘unqualified loyalist’: Dan Goldman

Trump made the announcement Tuesday night. Hegseth’s selection has been received with mixed reactions. Hegseth served in the Army National Guard before his eight-year tenure at Fox News, which he has paired with leading a veterans conservative advocacy group.

“I appreciate Mr. Hegseth’s service in our armed forces, but being a serviceman does not make you qualified to lead the Department of Defense and to have access to our nuclear weapons,” Goldman said Tuesday on Erin Burnett OutFront. “I’m very disturbed by this, and I’m very concerned about what it demonstrates about Donald Trump’s priorities, which now seem to be coming true as many of us warned.”

Hegseth has earned two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman Badge. He served tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Goldman practiced as an attorney before his first term in the House, which began last year.

“I’m shocked, truly, and this is exactly what we worried about when we warned about Donald Trump, which is that he is going to appoint unqualified loyalists to shape this government into his own personal fiefdom,” Goldman went on.

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Before Goldman was elected to the House of Representatives, he served as the lead counsel in Trump’s first impeachment. Last week, he won his seat for the second time in New York’s 10th Congressional District.

To be officially appointed, Hegseth will need to be confirmed by the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.