Republicans will make up any excuse to defend the Hegseth sh-tshow

Congressional Cowards is a weekly sequence highlighting the worst Donald Trump defenders on Capitol Hill, who refuse to criticize him—regardless of how disgraceful or lawless his actions.

Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth is digging in after the most recent bombshell report that he shared labeled warfare plans in one more Sign group chat—this time together with his spouse, brother, and private lawyer.

However as an alternative of condemning Hegseth’s clear mishandling of delicate navy data, GOP lawmakers are circling the wagons, making the insane declare that Hegseth is being taken down by some kind of nefarious deep state throughout the Pentagon relatively than his personal unhealthy selections.

“The D.C. foreign policy establishment is getting desperate. They’ve tried to take out [Hegseth] twice. Everyone knows exactly what they’re doing. It won’t work. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have full faith and confidence in his leadership,” Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri wrote on X.

And Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee made a equally absurd accusation.

“Deep State leakers inside the Pentagon are trying to sabotage [Hegseth]. They’re terrified of the bold, America-First reforms President Trump is delivering. The D.C. cartel is in full-blown panic mode.  Their desperation says it all: we’re winning—and history will prove us right,” he wrote on X.

However these have been removed from probably the most ridiculous defenses of Hegseth.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, a famous douchebag who berated teenage Senate pages for taking photographs within the Capitol rotunda, mentioned that Hegseth was above reproach as a result of he served within the navy after 9/11—as if that absolves him of any wrongdoing.

“I don’t wish to hear from any wholesome American that was of preventing age on 9/11 who didn’t be part of the navy and deploy to fight speaking shit about [Hegseth]. You had your probability to serve our Nation when She wanted you and also you didn’t. Stand down, the Warriors will take,” he wrote on X.

Cartoon by Clay Jones

“I will lead the breach. I will lay down cover fire. I will take the high ground. I’ll expose myself to enemy fire to communicate. We must bring back integrity, focus, and put the Warfighter first inside DOD. I stand with [Hegseth],” he wrote on X.

Even all the Republican cohort on the Home Overseas Affairs Committee defended Hegseth, 

“Pete Hegseth is a warfighter and he’s helping President Trump make sure our country is worthy of the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform,” they wrote on X.

In the meantime, Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida tried to make use of whataboutism to defend Hegseth throughout an look on CNN, which—unsurprisingly—didn’t go effectively.

“Nobody was saying a word when Lloyd Austin, the previous defense secretary, disappeared for a month. Nobody could find him,” Donalds deflected.

Up to now, just one Republican has referred to as for Hegseth to resign: Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, one of the vital weak GOP lawmakers within the Home who represents a district that Vice President Kamala Harris carried in 2024. 

“The military should always pride itself on operational security. If the reports are true, the Secretary of Defense has failed at operational security, and that is unacceptable. If a Democrat did this we’d be demanding a scalp. I don’t like hypocrisy. We should be Americans first when it comes to security,” he instructed Axios.

However don’t anticipate different Republicans to affix Bacon anytime quickly.

In line with Politico, Republicans are afraid that calling for Hegseth to resign will get them on President Donald Trump’s unhealthy aspect.

“Everyone knows he’s a joke, but he’s the guy to do pushups with the troops,” a former congressional aide instructed Politico. “Plus, not many want to publicly say anything right now and get on Trump’s bad side.”

Now that’s the definition of cowardice. 

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