Kennedy hedges on Hegseth confidence on Meet the Press — SkimNews
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- Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) dodged NBC's Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press" when asked if he still has confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, replying, "it's not my place to have confidence in him."
- Kennedy conceded it's "clear" Hegseth consolidated power by firing "some pretty good people," but said he voted for him and would "probably vote for him again" absent evidence the firings were unjustified.
- Kennedy named three worries: needing "more butts" for Iran and the world, partnering with Ukraine to develop drone warfare, and giving the military more money.
- Kennedy predicted Congress would need to pass legislation to boost Pentagon funding and said he anticipated Democratic opposition.
- The Pentagon recently drew criticism from the House Appropriations Committee's top Democrat for secretly attempting to divert billions in NIH funding to bolster its own budget without congressional approval.
- Senate Republicans will expect Hegseth to answer for the departures of several senior military officials, according to the article.
Why it matters: Kennedy's refusal to affirm confidence in Hegseth—despite saying he'd vote to confirm him again—signals an explicit threshold ("until evidence is shown") that other GOP senators can cite as cover. With Iran war concerns and senior Pentagon departures already generating scrutiny, the Louisiana Republican's hedge could embolden colleagues to press for Hegseth hearings before any confirmation-style vote.
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