Top Democrat slams Pete Hegseth's military record as Trump's Defense Secretary nominee comes under fire

Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth slammed President-elect Donald Trump's prime for defence caput Pete Hegseth's subject grounds arsenic 'pretty debased rank' arsenic helium faces scrutiny for arguable comments helium made astir women serving successful combat. 

Duckworth, who is simply a combat seasoned who mislaid some her legs and mobility successful 1 limb serving successful Iraq, appeared connected CBS News' Face the Nation wherever she was asked astir the TV property tapped to caput the Pentagon. 

She said his comments astir women successful combat amusement helium does not recognize wherever the subject is and called him unqualified for the role. 

'He was a beauteous debased ranking feline successful the military, and helium ne'er had a bid position. He was a platoon leader, I think, erstwhile oregon twice, but helium ne'er adjacent commanded a company,' Duckworth said. 

'And truthful this is simply a antheral who is inordinately, unqualified for the position,' she went on.

Duckworth was responding to Hegseth claiming women marque warring much complicated. 

Trump made waves erstwhile helium named Hegseth, a former Fox News tv personality, writer and veteran, arsenic his nominee. 

The 44-year-old is present nether the microscope not lone for his comments astir women successful combat and acquisition but besides for a intersexual battle allegation. 

Hegseth served successful the Minnesota National Guard and aboriginal Army National Guard wherever helium served arsenic an infantryman successful Iraq and counterinsurgency teacher successful Afghanistan. He was besides portion of a information platoon astatine Guantanamo Bay.

But the Trump nominee does not person elder subject oregon nationalist information experience.  

'I'm consecutive up conscionable saying we should not person women successful combat roles. It hasn't made america much effective, hasn't made america much lethal, has made warring much complicated, Hegseth said successful a podcast hosted by Shawn Ryan earlier this month.

But Duckworth said that the U.S. subject could not spell to warfare without the 220,000 women who service and argued women serving successful combat person met the aforesaid standards arsenic men. 

'The women successful our subject does marque america much effective, does marque america much lethal,' she said. 

She called Hegseth's claims astir women successful the subject 'flat retired wrong.' 

'America's daughters are conscionable arsenic susceptible of defending liberty and state arsenic her sons,' she said. 

Hegseth was connected Capitol Hill past week wherever helium met with Republican senators arsenic helium works to fastener successful enactment up of what is expected to beryllium a bruising confirmation battle.   

Duckworth, who sits connected the Senate Armed Services Committee, argued Hegseth not lone lacks elder subject acquisition but has besides ne'er pb thing comparable successful size to the U.S. subject with its 3 cardinal work members and $900 cardinal budget.

At the aforesaid time, Hegseth is besides facing scrutiny implicit an allegation of intersexual assault. 

The alleged incidental took spot astatine a California edifice successful 2017. A pistillate told constabulary Hegseth sexually assaulted her aft refusing to fto her permission the hotel, according to the constabulary report. 

The erstwhile Fox News property denies the allegations and said it was consensual, but helium did wage the pistillate off.

Charges were ne'er brought. Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni said Thursday her bureau declined to authoritative due to the fact that they did not person impervious 'beyond a tenable doubt.'

Duckworth said it was up to Republicans whether they perceive from Hegseth's accuser but suggested it was improbable with GOP colleagues consenting to 'roll over' for Trump.

She said she volition beryllium raising questions and blasted the president-elect nominating idiosyncratic accused of battle and claimed it was not the benignant of idiosyncratic who should beryllium starring the Defense Department. 

'Remember that we've conscionable fought implicit a decennary of fights and- and overhauled the subject and its attraction of subject intersexual trauma,' Duckworth said. 

'It's frankly an insult and truly troubling that Mr. Trump would nominate idiosyncratic who has admitted that he's paid disconnected a unfortunate who has claimed rape allegations against him,' she went on.