Lawrence: Trump’s incompetent SecDef, Pete Hegseth, fails his intelligence assessment

Lawrence: Trump’s incompetent SecDef, Pete Hegseth, fails his intelligence assessment

>> SOUNDS GOOD. HAVE A GREAT NIGHT, LAWRENCE. >> THANK YOU. THANKS. >> WELL, PETE HEGSETH WAS REPORTED TO HAVE HAD SUCH A SEVERE DRINKING PROBLEM WHILE WORKING AS A WEEKEND MORNING. HOST AT FOX THAT HE PROMISED REPUBLICAN SENATORS THAT HE WOULD NOT DRINK IF THEY VOTED TO CONFIRM HIM AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. AND SO WE’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO ASSUME THAT PETE HEGSETH WAS STONE COLD SOBER TODAY WHEN HE SAID SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT BELONGS IN THE GREAT COMEDY CENTRAL TV. >> SERIES. >> DRUNK HISTORY. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP DIRECTED THE MOST COMPLEX AND SECRETIVE MILITARY OPERATION IN HISTORY. >> IT’S THE KIND OF THING THAT WOULDN’T BE SURPRISING FOR HIM TO SAY. >> IF. >> HE STILL HAD HIS JOB AT FOX. >> AND WAS. >> DRUNK AT A. >> HOTEL BAR. >> IN 2017, A POLICE REPORT ABOUT PETE HEGSETH BEING DRUNK IN A HOTEL BAR SAID THAT PETE HEGSETH TOLD THE POLICE, QUOTE, THAT HE WAS BUZZED BUT NOT INTOXICATED DURING AN ENCOUNTER WITH A REPUBLICAN WOMAN WHO, AFTER SPENDING TIME IN PETE HEGSETH HOTEL ROOM, FILED A COMPLAINT WITH MONTEREY POLICE CLAIMING THAT SHE WAS RAPED. NO CRIMINAL. CHARGES WERE FILED AFTER THE POLICE INVESTIGATION, AND NONE OF THAT INFORMATION BOTHERED REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE IN ANY WAY. WHEN IT CAME TIME TO VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION OF PETE HEGSETH AS THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. BUT ALL OF THOSE SENATORS, ALL THOSE REPUBLICAN SENATORS, KNEW THAT AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH WAS GOING TO SOUND LIKE A CHARACTER IN DRUNK HISTORY. LET’S LISTEN AGAIN TO THE STUPIDEST PUBLIC LIE EVER TOLD BY A SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP DIRECTED THE MOST COMPLEX AND SECRETIVE MILITARY OPERATION IN HISTORY. >> NOW, SOME SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE, PARTICULARLY DURING THE VIETNAM WAR, FOUND THEMSELVES TELLING WORSE LIES, MORE IMPORTANT LIES ABOUT THEIR PLANS TO WIN THE WAR THAT WE LOST DECISIVELY. BUT THOSE SECRETARIES WEREN’T TELLING LIES THAT WERE PROVABLY FALSE IN THE MOMENT THAT THEY SAID THEM. A PRESUMABLY SOBER PETE HEGSETH ACTUALLY SAID DONALD TRUMP DIRECTED THE MOST COMPLEX AND SECRETIVE MILITARY OPERATION IN HISTORY. DONALD TRUMP DIRECTED NOTHING. DONALD TRUMP SAID, GO TO A PLAN THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT IS FILLED WITH ATTACK PLANS AND WAR PLANS THAT IT USUALLY NEVER USES, BUT ALWAYS KNOWS HOW TO EXECUTE. BOMBING IRAN’S NUCLEAR FACILITIES IS SOMETHING THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT HAS KNOWN HOW TO DO. FOR AS LONG AS IRAN WAS SUSPECTED OF POSSIBLY DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS, PRESIDENT OBAMA COULD HAVE DONE IT SIMPLY BY SAYING GO. PRESIDENT OBAMA AUTHORIZED THE MISSION THAT TOOK OUT OSAMA BIN LADEN. BUT THAT MISSION WAS DESIGNED BY MILITARY PROFESSIONALS AND WAS DIRECTED BY MILITARY PROFESSIONALS. AFTER PRESIDENT OBAMA LISTENED TO THE PLAN AND SIMPLY SAID, GO, THAT’S THE WAY IT WORKS. AND THAT WAS A MUCH MORE COMPLEX AND SECRETIVE MILITARY OPERATION THAN THE BOMBING RUN. DONALD TRUMP PUBLICLY TALKED ABOUT BEFORE HE AUTHORIZED IT. THERE WAS NOTHING SECRETIVE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT DONALD TRUMP MIGHT APPROVE THE BOMBING OF IRAN’S NUCLEAR FACILITIES. DONALD TRUMP PUBLICLY SAID THAT HE MIGHT DO THAT. FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT DID NOT PUBLICLY SAY THAT HE MIGHT APPROVE AN INVASION OF NORMANDY ON D-DAY IN WORLD WAR TWO, SOMETIME IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. THERE’S NOTHING SECRETIVE ABOUT A PRESIDENT SAYING I MIGHT ORDER THE BOMBING SOMETIME IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, AND THERE IS NOTHING COMPLEX ABOUT A SINGLE BOMBING RUN OVER A COUNTRY THAT HAS NO AIR DEFENSES LEFT BECAUSE ISRAEL TOOK THEM OUT. ALREADY. THE ONLY THING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SAID BEFORE THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB WAS DROPPED AT THE END OF WORLD WAR TWO, WAS GO. PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ATOMIC BOMB. THAT WAS ALL DONE UNDER PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT. PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN KNEW NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT THE SECRETIVE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THAT BOMB. HE JUST KNEW THAT SHORTLY AFTER PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT DIED IN OFFICE, VICE PRESIDENT TRUMAN ASCENDED TO THE PRESIDENCY AND THAT THE BOMB HE FOUND OUT ABOUT WHEN HE BECAME PRESIDENT WAS READY TO GO. AND IT WAS HARRY TRUMAN’S DECISION TO MAKE. HE DIDN’T DIRECT ANYTHING ABOUT THE MISSION. HE DIDN’T FIGURE OUT WHAT ALTITUDE THE PLANE HAD TO FLY AT, SO THAT IT WOULDN’T BE DESTROYED BY THE EFFECTS OF THE BOMB THAT IT DROPPED. HARRY TRUMAN DIDN’T FIGURE OUT WHAT THE WEATHER HAD TO BE OVER HIROSHIMA AND THEN NAGASAKI. HARRY. HARRY TRUMAN DIDN’T FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH FUEL IT WOULD TAKE TO GET THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO SAFETY, BUT EACH OF THOSE BOMBING MISSIONS WERE THE MOST COMPLEX AND SECRETIVE BOMBING MISSIONS IN MILITARY HISTORY. AND THEY REMAIN THAT THE ONLY TWO BOMBING MISSIONS IN WHICH ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD HAS EVER DROPPED AN ATOMIC BOMB. THE BOMBING RUNS OVER NORTH VIETNAM WERE MORE COMPLEX, MORE SECRETIVE, AND MUCH MORE DANGEROUS BECAUSE THOSE BOMBERS COULD BE AND WERE SHOT DOWN. PETE HEGSETH PROMISED REPUBLICAN SENATORS THAT HE WOULD NOT DRINK IF HE BECAME SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, BUT HE DID NOT PROMISE THAT HE WOULDN’T SOUND DRUNK. THE SINGLE MOST COMPLEX AND SECRETIVE MILITARY OPERATION IN HISTORY WAS, IN FACT, THE D-DAY INVASION THAT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF HUNDREDS OF BOOKS, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF MOVIES, NONE OF WHICH CAN CAPTURE THE FULL COMPLEXITY OF THE YEARS OF PREPARATION AND PLANNING AND THE SECRETIVE, INTENSE DISCIPLINE THAT MADE D-DAY THE SUCCESSFUL TURNING POINT IN WORLD WAR TWO. THAT IT WAS. PETE HEGSETH TRIED TO STEAL ALL OF THAT AND HAND IT TO DONALD TRUMP. PETE HEGSETH TRIED TO DEFEND DONALD TRUMP’S CLAIM THAT IRAN’S NUCLEAR FACILITIES WERE OBLITERATED BY THE BOMBING. NO ONE IN THE AMERICAN MILITARY HAS MADE THAT CLAIM. AND TAY, PETE HEGSETH, IN EFFECT, SEIZED THE MICROPHONE WHEN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, GENERAL DAN QIN, WAS ASKED ABOUT THE BOMBING DAMAGE. >> GENERAL, ON SUNDAY, YOU SAID FINAL BATTLE. >> DAMAGE WILL TAKE. >> SOME TIME. >> AND YOU ALSO SAID, I. >> THINK BDA IS STILL PENDING. >> AND IT. >> WOULD BE WAY TOO EARLY FOR. >> ME TO COMMENT ON WHAT MAY OR. >> MAY NOT STILL BE THERE. AT THE NUCLEAR FACILITY. IS THAT WAS JUST OVER THREE DAYS AGO. >> SO WHAT HAS CHANGED? >> WOULD YOU. >> USE. THE TERM. >> OBLITERATED AS WELL? SURE. LIKE I SAID, WE DON’T DO BDA. I’LL REFER THAT TO THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. >> AND YOU’RE TALKING WITH THEM. I MEAN. >> WHAT CHANGED IN THE PAST THREE DAYS THAT MAKE YOU SO. NO, SIR, I THINK I. >> I MEAN, I THINK I EXPLAINED WHAT CHANGED. THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF IRRESPONSIBLE REPORTING BASED ON LEAKS, PRELIMINARY INFORMATION IN LOW CONFIDENCE. AGAIN, WHEN SOMEONE LEAKS SOMETHING, THEY DO IT WITH AN AGENDA. AND WHEN YOU LEAK A PORTION OF AN INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT, BUT JUST A LITTLE PORTION, JUST A LITTLE PORTION THAT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE MAYBE THE STRIKE WASN’T EFFECTIVE, THEN YOU START A NEW CYCLE, WHETHER IT’S THE WASHINGTON POST OR FOX NEWS OR CNN OR MSNBC, YOU START A NEWS CYCLE THAT STARTS TO CALL INTO QUESTION THE EFFICACY. THAT’S WHY. SO YOU BRING THE CHAIRMAN HERE WHO’S NOT INVOLVED IN POLITICS. HE DOESN’T DO POLITICS. THAT’S, THAT’S THAT’S MY LANE TO UNDERSTAND AND TRANSLATE AND TALK ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS SO I CAN USE THE WORD OBLITERATED. >> WELL, HE WAS A PAID LIAR FOR FOX. SO OF COURSE HE CAN USE ANY WORD HE WANTS NOW THAT HE’S DONALD TRUMP’S APPOINTED LIAR AT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT. PETE HEGSETH HAD A RUN IN WITH THE BEST REPORTER WHO HAS EVER BEEN EMPLOYED BY FOX TODAY, CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT JENNIFER GRIFFIN, JENNIFER GRIFFIN AND HER 18 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE COVERING THE PENTAGON KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT AND ITS OPERATIONS THAN PETE HEGSETH MIGHT EVER KNOW. >> DO YOU HAVE. >> CERTAINTY THAT ALL THE. >> HIGHLY ENRICHED. >> URANIUM WAS. >> INSIDE THE FORDO. >> MOUNTAIN, OR SOME. >> OF IT? >> BECAUSE THERE WERE. >> SATELLITE PHOTOS THAT. >> SHOWED MORE THAN A DOZEN TRUCKS THERE. >> TWO DAYS IN ADVANCE. ARE YOU CERTAIN NONE OF THAT HIGHLY ENRICHED. >> URANIUM WAS MOVED? >> OF COURSE, WE’RE WATCHING EVERY SINGLE ASPECT. BUT, JENNIFER, YOU’VE BEEN ABOUT THE WORST. THE ONE WHO MISREPRESENTS THE MOST INTENTIONALLY. WHAT WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAYS. I’M I’M FAMILIAR. >> ABOUT THE VENTILATION SHAFTS ON. >> SATURDAY NIGHT. AND IN FACT. >> I WAS THE FIRST TO DESCRIBE. >> THE B-2 BOMBERS. THE REFUELING. THE ENTIRE MISSION WITH GREAT ACCURACY. >> SO I TAKE. >> ISSUE. >> WITH THAT. I APPRECIATE YOU ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST OPERATION, THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MISSION BASED ON OPERATIONAL SECURITY THAT THIS DEPARTMENT HAS DONE SINCE YOU’VE BEEN HERE. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. SO WE’RE LOOKING AT ALL ASPECTS OF INTELLIGENCE AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT WAS WHERE. >> PETE HEGSETH, ALONG WITH SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO, CIA DIRECTOR JOHN RATCLIFFE AND CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF GENERAL DAN QIN, PARTICIPATED IN A CLOSED DOOR BRIEFING TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE SENATE TODAY. AFTER THAT BRIEFING, SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY OF CONNECTICUT SAID THIS. >> LISTEN TO ME. IT STILL APPEARS THAT WE HAVE ONLY SET BACK THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM BY A HANDFUL OF MONTHS. I WALK AWAY FROM THAT BRIEFING, STILL UNDER THE BELIEF THAT THAT WE HAVE NOT OBLITERATED THE PROGRAM. THE PRESIDENT WAS DELIBERATELY MISLEADING THE PUBLIC WHEN HE SAID THE PROGRAM WAS OBLITERATED. IT IS IT IS CERTAIN THAT THERE IS STILL SIGNIFICANT CAPABILITY AND SIGNIFICANT EQUIPMENT THAT THAT THAT REMAIN. >> BEFORE HE BECAME SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, PETE HEGSETH SAID THAT HE OPPOSED WOMEN SERVING IN THE MILITARY. IN HIS BOOK, PETE HEGSETH WROTE WE NEED MOMS, BUT NOT IN THE MILITARY, ESPECIALLY NOT IN COMBAT UNITS. AND IN NOVEMBER, PETE HEGSETH SAID THIS. >> 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. >> AND ONCE AGAIN TODAY, PETE HEGSETH DEMONSTRATED JUST HOW OBSESSED HE IS WITH TRYING TO KEEP WOMEN OUT OF COMBAT ROLES BY REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WOMEN WHO ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE BOMBING MISSION IN IRAN. >> WHY NOT ACKNOWLEDGE. >> THE FEMALE. >> PILOTS THAT ALSO PARTICIPATED IN. >> THIS MISSION? >> THE EARLY. >> MESSAGES THAT. YOU SENT OUT ONLY CONGRATULATED THE BOYS. >> SO WHEN I SAY SOMETHING LIKE OUR BOYS IN BOMBERS, SEE, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THE PRESS DOES, RIGHT? OF COURSE, THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED A FEMALE BOMBER PILOT. THAT’S FANTASTIC. SHE’S FANTASTIC. SHE’S A HERO. I WANT MORE FEMALE BOMBER PILOTS. I HOPE THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR COUNTRY SIGN UP TO DO SUCH BRAVE AND AUDACIOUS THINGS. BUT WHEN YOU SPIN IT AS BECAUSE I SAY OUR BOYS AND BOMBERS AS A COMMON PHRASE, I’LL KEEP SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT, WHETHER THEY’RE MEN OR WOMEN. VERY PROUD OF THAT FEMALE PILOT. JUST LIKE I’M VERY PROUD OF THOSE MALE PILOTS. AND I DON’T CARE IF IT’S A MALE OR A FEMALE IN THAT COCKPIT, AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON’T CARE. BUT IT’S THE OBSESSION WITH RACE AND GENDER IN THIS DEPARTMENT THAT’S CHANGED PRIORITIES. WE DON’T DO THAT ANYMORE. WE DON’T PLAY YOUR LITTLE GAMES. >> BOYS AND BOMBERS. BOYS AND BOMBERS WAS A COMMON PHRASE. YEAH, MAYBE DURING WORLD WAR TWO WHEN WE ONLY HAD MEN IN COMBAT ROLES. BUT WE’VE HAD WOMEN IN BOMBERS FOR A LONG TIME NOW. AND PETE HEGSETH CAN’T QUITE FIT THAT INTO HIS LANGUAGE. HE SAID, I DON’T CARE IF IT’S A MALE OR FEMALE IN THAT COCKPIT. OKAY, THEN LET’S JUST CALL THEM GIRLS INSTEAD OF BOYS. OR EVEN BETTER, LET’S CALL THEM WHAT THEY REALLY ARE. MEN AND WOMEN. AMERICA WAS OFFERED AN OPPORTUNITY TODAY FOR ALL OF US TO DO AN INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT OF PETE HEGSETH. AND FOR MOST OBSERVERS, ONCE

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that Donald Trump “directed the most complex and secretive military operation in history.” MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell explains why that is the stupidest public lie ever told by a Secretary of Defense.

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