Staff ReportsIn an amusing spectacle of political theatrics, Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, decided to roll out the red carpet for changes to the rules during the confirmation hearing of Donald Trump’s Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth. It’s a curious kind of desperation that only the Democrats seem capable of, especially considering how the very same rules were perfectly adequate when it was Lloyd Austin being vetted.
Reed’s request for an additional round of questioning was a head-scratcher. Apparently, he thought he could throw a wrench into the proceedings to gain an unfair advantage—perhaps putting forth the notion that his party’s nominee deserved different treatment. But Sen. Roger Wicker, the committee chairman, was having none of it. He firmly stated that the committee would follow the exact same protocol adhered to during Austin’s hearing. Consistency in the rules? What a radical idea in modern politics.
But Reed didn’t stop there. No, in a stunning display of audacity, he suggested that Hegseth’s FBI background check findings be made available to all committee members. This, despite the well-established practice of limiting access to just the chairman and the ranking member. Wicker again maintained the status quo, preferring the precedent set by previous confirmations, as if the idea of running a transparent, fair process was somehow a concern.
Top Dem Tries to Give Hegseth Different Hearing Rules Than Lloyd Austin https://t.co/0dU4RzHj7h via @BreitbartNews Always trying to cheat that is the Dem party.
— Woodrow Williams (@Woodrow17165268) January 15, 2025
If anything, the necessity of an FBI investigation for top-tier presidential nominees should not be a shocking revelation. After all, it’s a standard practice. And for Hegseth, the results reportedly came back “unremarkable,” much to the chagrin of the Democrats, who were likely hoping for some dirt they could weaponize against him. Unfortunately for Reed and his comrades, the background check wasn’t problematic, but rather the opposite—it provided yet another clear path to Hegseth’s confirmation.
In the face of this unfortunate lack of scandal, Reed had the nerve to label the FBI investigation as “insufficient.” Republican strategist Andrew Surabian stepped in to add comedic clarity to Reed’s plight, suggesting that the term “insufficient” could be decoded as a major disappointment for the Democrats, who were clearly itching to find something sinister on Hegseth. The irony here is too rich; rather than embracing the idea of an uneventful background check, it seems the left would prefer the drama of a dirt-filled dossier. But alas, they were left with nothing but their own frustration and claims that once again fell flat.
