A group of veterans who played key roles in the private evacuation of thousands of Americans from Afghanistan in 2021 spoke out in defense of Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump‘s defense secretary pick.
Hegseth’s nomination has come under heavy scrutiny, putting into question the viability of him passing the Senate. Several leading veterans have come to his defense, including former Force Recon Marine Chad Robichaux.
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Robichaux’s and his team evacuated over 17,000 people in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, an act recognized by Congress. In an interview with the Washington Examiner, he threw his full support behind Hegseth.
He took particular aim at senators hesitant on voting for his confirmation, hitting them for not being hesitant when confirming current Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
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“That’s the same Senate that’s saying that [Hegseth] maybe had a few too many drinks, or whatever he did, is the same one that was silent when [Austin] left Americans behind, and when I say left Americans behind — thousands of Americans behind, in Afghanistan, when he left thousands of Americans stranded in Africa when he left thousands of Americans stranded in Ukraine,” he said.
Robichaux said that he had seen a groundswell of support for Hegseth, among groups previously apolitical.
“There is a huge push from the military. Well, I’ve never seen this before,” he said. “I’ve been around the military for 30 years. I’ve never seen [people] in the Marine Corps for four years, putting on social media who they want to be their secretary of defense. Most of the time, they don’t even know who their secretary of defense is.”
“Everyone wants him in, mainly because he doesn’t have a star,” Robichaux said, referring to generals’ stars.
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He argued that generals were too separated from the regular troops to carry out their mission effectively, and that soldiers preferred one of their own.
“Pete doesn’t have to doesn’t have to have lead at a strategic level. He doesn’t have to have a star. He’s a leader. He’s he’s got the right vision,” Robichaux said. “And when he sits in this situation room and the nation needs him to make a decision, he’s not going to do it in a silo.”
“He’s going to be surrounded by the right people to make the right decision, to do their jobs, and that’s very important for the American people to understand. He’s not a Fox News host. He’s a guy that served his country and in combat twice, Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.
Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) echoed this sentiment, praising Hegseth’s qualifications while bashing Austin.
“Pete Hegseth is exactly the kind of leader we need as Secretary of Defense. He’s a combat veteran who’s led men in battle, holds degrees from Princeton and Harvard, and has the courage to take on the root causes of our military recruitment crisis, like the destructive and divisive focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion,” he told the Washington Examiner.
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Mills put the full blame of the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan on Austin, over which he filed articles of impeachment against him.
“I filed articles of impeachment against Austin for his dereliction of duty because leadership matters. When Austin failed to do his job, veterans like myself who stepped in to rescue American families left behind. Pete Hegseth’s leadership, integrity, and experience are exactly what this nation needs to restore accountability and strength to the Department of Defense,” he concluded.
Benghazi contractor Mark “Oz” Geist also lent his support to Hegseth.
“As a warfighter, Pete Hegseth stands out because he gets what it takes to win on the battlefield—he’s lived it. His firsthand experience in Iraq and Afghanistan means he understands the realities of combat, the importance of morale, and the need for a lethal, well-trained force ready to fight and win,” he told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
Geist contrasted Hegseth to Austin, arguing that Austin’s focus had been on “bureaucracy and social agendas” to the detriment of combat effectiveness.
“He knows that strength, clarity of purpose, and a no-nonsense approach are what it takes to dominate any adversary, making him a leader who would ensure the military is always ready for the next fight,” he said.
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After former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz dropped out as Trump’s attorney general nomination, the primary target of scrutiny landed on Hegseth. Reports emerged of past sexual assault allegations, financial mismanagement, and a drinking on the job. On Sunday the New Yorker published an article based on a whistleblower’s seven-page report detailing numerous allegations against Hegseth while he served as the president of Concerned Veterans for America from 2013 to 2016.
He’s pushed against the allegations, but promised Senators that he wouldn’t drink if confirmed for the post. Trump’s team has publicly stood by him, decrying the accusations as false and politically motivated.
