Defense Nominee Pete Hegseth Seems Really Confused About Where Southeast Asia Is | EUROtoday

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s decide for protection secretary, revealed an embarrassing ignorance a couple of main geopolitical group throughout his Senate affirmation listening to on Tuesday.

Hegseth, a former Fox News character, was taking questions from Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) when she challenged him to share his information about even only one member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.

“Can you name the importance of at least one of the nations in ASEAN and what type of agreement we have with at least one of those nations?” she requested.

“I couldn’t tell you the exact amount of nations in that, but I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan and … with Australia,” Hegseth started responding.

Duckworth minimize him off to make a serious correction.

“None of those three countries that you’ve mentioned are in ASEAN,” she stated. “I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of negotiations.”

ASEAN’s members embody Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Australia, one of many international locations Hegseth talked about, isn’t even on the Asian continent.

Hegseth, who’s dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct and extreme ingesting and partying, has spent the final decade as a commentator for Fox News. In the early 2000s, he was commissioned as an infantry officer within the Army National Guard and deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. Beyond that, he has no expertise in protection roles.

Duckworth wasn’t the one particular person to give attention to Hegseth’s minimal {qualifications} on Tuesday. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) advised Hegseth he would help him if he have been auditioning for a lesser position, similar to a Pentagon spokesperson. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the rating Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, was even harsher.

“Mr. Hegseth, I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job,” Reed advised him.

“A variety of sources, including your own writings, implicate you with disregarding laws of war, financial mismanagement, racist and sexist remarks about men and women in uniform, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other troubling issues,” he continued. “I have reviewed many of these allegations, and find them extremely alarming.”

Hegseth has denied all allegations towards him.