In a heated exchange on Capitol Hill during his confirmation hearings, Pete Hegseth served up an epic mic-drop moment that left Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) visibly shaken. The back-and-forth centered on a pointed question Warren posed to Hegseth, suggesting that he make a public pledge to stay out of the defense industry for 10 years after leaving his job should he be confirmed. Hegseth wasn’t about to let her corner him, and his response exposed the glaring flaws in Warren’s line of questioning.
The tension kicked off when Warren bluntly asked, “Mr. Hegseth, you have written that after they retire, generals should be banned from working for the defense industry for ten years. You and I agree on the corrosive effects of the revolving door between the Pentagon and defense contractors. It's something I would have liked to talk with you about if you'd come and been willing to visit with me. But the question I have for you on this is: will you put your money where your mouth is and agree that when you leave this job, you will not work for the defense industry for ten years?”
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Without hesitation, Hegseth responded, "Senator, it’s not even a question I’ve thought about. Because it’s not one that—”
Warren, not accepting that answer, quickly cut him off: “You can think about it right now.”
Undeterred, Hegseth calmly replied, “My motivation for this job—”
Once again, Warren rudely cut him off and pushed further, clearly frustrated, demanding a simple answer: “I just need a yes or no here, time is short. I just need a yes or no.”
In a rare moment of clarity and unflinching honesty, Hegseth shot back, “I would consult with the president about what the policy should be.”
Warren, evidently agitated by the answer, tried to corner Hegseth with a comparison to military generals. “In other words. You’re quite sure that every general who serves should not go directly into the defense industry for 10 years. You’re not willing to make that same pledge?”
This was the moment Hegseth turned the tables. Without flinching, he responded with the kind of confidence that instantly shut down Warren’s line of questioning: “I’m not a general, Senator.”
The gallery burst out in laughter. Hegseth had delivered the kill shot. Not only did he successfully dodge Warren’s trap, but he also highlighted the flaws in her argument — namely, that she was asking a stupid question in the hopes of cornering him.
WARREN: You're quite sure that every general who serves should not go directly into the defense industry for 10 years, but you're not willing to make that same pledge?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 14, 2025
HEGSETH: I'm not a general, Senator. pic.twitter.com/GwjJ8703wW
As you can see in the video, Warren, perhaps realizing how stupid she had been, appeared shaken for a brief moment before trying to recover.
“You’ll be the one — let us just be clear — in charge of the generals. So you're saying sauce for the goose, but certainly not sauce for the gander," apparently forgetting the fact he had just told her that he is not a general.
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