Snappy Answers To Stupid Assertions

Trump nominee Pete Hegseth says he will stop drinking if Republican Senators confirm him as Secretary of Defense pic.twitter.com/eKPHf1dOb9

— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 5, 2024

Somebody ask Lindsay Graham if these are anonymous allegations.

Graham: The allegations against Hegseth are all anonymous sources. I’m not going to make any decision based on an anonymous source. If you are not willing to raise your hand under oath to make the accusation, it doesn't count. pic.twitter.com/JikSncpZXk

— Acyn (@Acyn) December 5, 2024

Of course, Hegseth is not even formally in the nomination process. And this is what FBI investigations are for, BTW.

Maldonado: There's a bunch of unnamed sources.

Roginsky: Do you know why they're unnamed.. Because Pete Hegseth has bound his accuser to an NDA. pic.twitter.com/ZTFFBXl6L8

— Acyn (@Acyn) December 5, 2024

And the ultimate response:

Tapper: That woman Hegseth paid her money and she signed a NDA so she can't come on my show to talk about it. Do you think Pete should release her from the NDA so that I can ask her the questions that you want me to

Scott: Absolutely not. pic.twitter.com/nIKTN9PI5u

— Acyn (@Acyn) December 4, 2024

The (slightly) bigger picture:

With Pete Hegseth Among the Post-Nominated https://t.co/puI4LZYYNY via @TPM

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 5, 2024

They’re doing it in a particular GOP senator way — all through winks and shadows, pregnant sighs. As far as I know, no Republican senator said they wouldn’t vote for Matt Gaetz, just as none has said so about Hegseth. On the pod Kate and I recorded this afternoon, we noted that if this were Biden’s or Harris’ transition, watching the top nominees go down in flames would be treated like the presidency itself was DOA. But not having a fancy Times or Politico columnist say it doesn’t make it any less so. Trump’s ability to just dictate isn’t quite panning out. And that matters.

And all those EO’s waiting for court challenges.

My money’s on Trump itching to follow the lead of Yun Sook Yeol, so he can shut down the Congress and appoint chimpanzees to his Cabinet. But he’s starting to wonder if even the House and Senate would follow South Korea’s lead?

I think it’d be a near damn thing. And thank goodness the Supreme Court doesn’t have a vote over removal from office.