Sen. Tammy Duckworth voted for both of Donald Trump’s former secretaries of defense, Mark Esper and James Mattis. A combat veteran herself, who lost both her legs in 2004 from a rocket-propelled grenade while flying in Iraq, she’s been able to find common ground with Republicans on military issues and matters of national security.
When it comes to Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for the job this time around, however, Duckworth is a hard no.
“Let me just say the American people need a SecDef. who’s ready to lead on Day One. You are not that person,” she said at his confirmation hearing. NOTUS sat down with Duckworth after the hearing to talk through the questions she still has about his qualifications. She described a confirmation process that had veered too far into partisan politics, from the questions asked at the hearing to the FBI vetting process.