IN CASE YOU MISSED IT… Sen. Rick Scott in The Washington Examiner: Why the Pentagon needs Pete Hegseth

January 8, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for the Washington Examiner highlighting his support for Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth. The United States is constantly facing threats from adversaries around the world, emboldened by four years of Joe Biden’s incompetence, and Senator Scott will work to ensure the quick confirmation of President Trump’s nominees so he has every tool at his disposal to keep our nation safe.

 

In the op-ed, Senator Rick Scott wrote, “President-elect Donald Trump chose Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense because he’s a combat veteran and change agent who isn’t afraid to take on the vital job of rebuilding the U.S. military from woke to lethal. He is the right person for the job, and I fully support him as our next secretary of defense.

 

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and an enlisted Navy veteran, I’ve seen clearly that we need a leader in the Pentagon who puts America’s national interests above all else. I’ve seen how the Biden-Harris administration pushed the DOD to prioritize wokeness over being the most lethal military force. They prioritized diversity quotas and bureaucracy over recruiting strong individuals ready to serve and protect our nation. The Biden-Harris administration put our national security and the safety of our troops at risk, and we need someone who understands the mission and is ready to deliver. 

 

The status quo in Washington, D.C., has gone unchallenged for too long. The Pentagon, which failed seven consecutive annual financial audits, is the best example of a government that’s completely unaccountable to the American taxpayer. Hegseth is the fighter we need and the right person to get the DOD back on track. He’s a decorated combat veteran who knows what it’s like to put on the uniform and risk his life in defense of our freedoms. He knows what it means to send troops into battle and make life-or-death decisions, and he won’t take that responsibility lightly. He’s been to war, led his fellow service members in combat, and known individuals injured or killed defending our nation.

 

After his active duty service, Hegseth continued to stand by his fellow service members here at home by leading Concerned Veterans of America, demonstrating a commitment to our nation’s fighters rather than to the status quo.

 

…The policy priorities he championed were ultimately adopted by both Congress and the Trump administration and will benefit veterans for generations to come.

 

Americans elected Trump on a mandate for change, and he’s building a team ready to deliver — and Hegseth is the right man for the job at the DoD. Under their strong leadership, the U.S. military will once again become the world’s most lethal fighting force that our enemies fear and our allies respect, and I’ll do everything I can to support their mission. Americans elected Trump on a mandate for change, and he’s building a team ready to deliver — and Hegseth is the right man for the job at the DoD. Under their strong leadership, the U.S. military will once again become the world’s most lethal fighting force that our enemies fear and our allies respect, and I’ll do everything I can to support their mission.”

 

Read the full op-ed in the Washington Examiner HERE.

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