Kennedy Hedges on Hegseth as GOP Senators Press Pentagon — SkimNews
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- Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Sunday dodged NBC's Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press" when she asked whether he still has confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- Kennedy opened his reply with "Well, it's not my..." — a non-answer that stopped short of either endorsing or calling for Hegseth's ouster.
- Fellow Senate Republicans have separately raised concerns about senior Defense Department staff turnover under Hegseth's leadership, complicating his political position.
- Other GOP senators are publicly voicing concerns over the Iran war itself, with Hegseth's Pentagon stewardship now entangled in that broader anxiety.
Why it matters: A hedge from a Senate Republican gives Hegseth's internal critics a quotable data point at a moment when the Iran war and Pentagon staff turnover are already drawing GOP concern. Kennedy's refusal to offer a straight endorsement leaves the Defense Secretary's Senate support visibly thinner than the administration's public posture of full confidence.
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