1 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 2: Meanwhile, here in Washington, a lot of attention is fixed 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 2: on what's taking place in the Senate today, or more 4 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 2: specifically the Dirks and Senate Office Building, where the Senate 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 2: Armed Services Committee is currently and still underway, holding the 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 2: confirmation hearing for the Defense Secretary designate Pete Hegseth, who, 7 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 2: of course has been tapped by President elect Donald Trump 8 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 2: to lead the Pentagon, an organization with more than three 9 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: million people reporting up and through it, and it's been 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: a little contentious at times, perhaps no surprise. He's faced 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 2: very difficult questions from Democrats in regard to a number 12 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 2: of issues. But he also began the hearing by pleading 13 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 2: his own case. Here's part of his opening statement. 14 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 3: Now, it is true and has been acknowledged, that I 15 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 3: don't have a similar biography to defense secretaries of the 16 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 3: last thirty years. But as President Trump also told me, 17 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 3: we've repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly the 18 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 3: right credentials, whether they are retire generals, academics, or defense 19 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 3: contractor executives. And where has it gotten us, he believes, 20 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 3: and I humbly agree that it's time to give someone 21 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 3: with dust on his boots the helm, a change agent, 22 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 3: someone with no vested interest in certain companies or specific 23 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 3: programs or approved narratives. My only special interest is the warfighter, 24 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 3: deterring wars and if called upon, winning wars. By ensuring 25 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 3: our warriors never enter a fair fight, we let them 26 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 3: win and we bring them home. Like many of my generation, 27 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 3: I've been there. I've led troops in combat. I've been 28 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 3: on patrol for days. I've pulled a trigger down range, 29 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 3: heard bullets whiz by, flexcuffed insurgents, called in close air support, 30 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 3: led metavacs, dodged IEDs, pulled out dead bodies, and knelt 31 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 3: before a battlefield cross. This is not academic for me. 32 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 3: This is my life. I led then and I will 33 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 3: lead now. 34 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:15,079 Speaker 1: Pete Hegseth, speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee in 35 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: prepared remarks. That's how it started, not only trying to 36 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,959 Speaker 1: make the case for his nomination and confirmation, of course, 37 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: but also trying to get ahead of some of the 38 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: more difficult questions that he might be asked. And he's 39 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: been asked all of them, and we've got more to go. 40 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: Here joining us a voice of experience who spent a 41 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: lot of time with this committee and in rooms like these. 42 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: Retired Marine Corps Major General Arnold Prenur, a former staff 43 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: director of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the author of 44 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: if Confirmed, An Insider's view of the Senate confirmation process. 45 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 1: What a perfect voice for today. General has spent some time, 46 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: and we welcome you back to Bloomberg TV and Radio. 47 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: As I mentioned, you've been in this room before. How's 48 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: he doing. 49 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 4: Well? 50 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 5: I think he's doing extremely well. I was very impressed 51 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 5: with this opening statement. As you mentioned, I've been involved 52 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 5: in the confirmation process for over twelve Secretary of Defense, 53 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 5: going all the way back to the Ford administration, both 54 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 5: when I was on the committee, the staff director of 55 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 5: the committee and then helping various. 56 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 4: Nominees since leaving government. 57 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 5: On a pro bono basis, and so most of our 58 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 5: secretaries of Defense get faced tough questionings. But he certainly 59 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 5: had a very strong opening statement. I've reviewed all of 60 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 5: his advanced policy questions. I've listened very carefully to the hearing, 61 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 5: and he's doing exceedingly. 62 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 2: Well in my judgment, well and for many of the 63 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: questions he is facing, at least the ones posed by Democrats, 64 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: he's kind of doing so for the first time, as 65 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 2: multiple Democratic Senators have pointed out, Sir that Hegseth declined 66 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 2: to meet with them in advance of this hearing, even 67 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 2: though he was taking meetings with essentially all of the 68 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 2: Republicans on this committee. Do you think that that was 69 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 2: a mistake or was it unnecessary in this case when 70 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 2: he wasn't likely to be able to rely on Democratic 71 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 2: votes anyway. 72 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 5: Well, typically the tradition is that nominees, and not just 73 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 5: for the Secretary of Defense, all out offense nominees, and 74 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 5: of which there are six in the Department of the Fence. 75 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 5: So he's going to have a very strong team with 76 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 5: him if he's confirmed, and I believe he will be confirmed, 77 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 5: And typically they trying to meet with everybody, but everybody's scheduled. 78 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 5: I don't have any inside information other than what I 79 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 5: just turned into hearing today. I know nominees trying to 80 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 5: meet with everybody. I know for a fact that a 81 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 5: number of the other nominees, the Secretary of the Navy, 82 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 5: the Secretary of the Army nominee, they're meeting with both 83 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 5: sides of the isle. So I don't know what really 84 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 5: happened here. It's unfortunate if he didn't have a chance 85 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 5: to meet with some of them. But on the other hand, 86 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,280 Speaker 5: it's not unusual that schedules don't match up. 87 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, they do all seem to be going out of 88 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: their way to say the same thing on that front. 89 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,119 Speaker 1: But general, we'd love for you to bring us behind 90 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: the scenes a bit and into the process. We hear 91 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: a lot about mock hearings and murder boards. What goes 92 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: into preparing someone like Pete Hegseth for a moment like this. 93 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: How much time do you spend with him? How ugly 94 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: does it get when you start looking at their record 95 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: and try to give them a sense of the tough 96 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: questions they're going to get. 97 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 5: Well, you know, I go back and most of the 98 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 5: sect deeps that I've been involved with, going all the 99 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 5: way back to Harrold Brown in the cart administration, Cat Weinberger, 100 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 5: Don rbsfell Less Aspen all got tough questions. So there's 101 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 5: nothing unusual about that. 102 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 4: Number two. 103 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 5: He does take a tremendous amount of preparation. Some of 104 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 5: the previous secretaries of the Fence that didn't prepare well 105 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 5: did not do well in their confirmation hearing and frankly, 106 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 5: they suffered from that when they became even though they 107 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 5: got confirmed, you know, they did not have a good 108 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 5: impression in the confirmation hearing. So I would assume, and 109 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 5: I can tell from just the way he's answering the questions. 110 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:47,040 Speaker 5: I can tell from all the material supporting material that's 111 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 5: been provided to the committee. I can tell by reading 112 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 5: his extensive advanced policy questions. They have done a tremendous 113 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 5: amount of preparation to get him ready for this hearing. 114 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 4: But that's appropriate. You need to do that. 115 00:05:57,720 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 5: As some people have said, to the fists, Apartments of 116 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 5: Law just most complex organization in. 117 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 4: The world, and it's all about war fighting. 118 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 5: And so I would think that obviously they spend a 119 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 5: tremendous amount of time with him getting him ready, and 120 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 5: it shows he's doing a good job. 121 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 2: So you think general that he's doing a good job 122 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 2: and arguing that he is in fact qualified to do 123 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 2: this job, even though he, as has been raised in 124 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 2: the hearing, he hasn't managed an organization bigger than hundreds 125 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,840 Speaker 2: of people, let alone millions, that he actually hasn't led 126 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 2: an organizational audit, let alone one that could number in 127 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 2: the hundreds of billions. Of dollars. I mean, is your 128 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 2: takeaway from this hearing that Pete Hegseth is firmly qualified 129 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 2: for this position. 130 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 5: He's qualified in terms of the things that the Secretary 131 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 5: of Defense is involved in, and they are in Title ten. 132 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 5: Somebody's brought up one are the requirements, the air requirements 133 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 5: in Title ten, the US Code that creates the Department 134 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 5: of Defense and the Secretary of Defense. And he's he 135 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 5: brought out the three things that I think are most important. 136 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 5: He's focused on improving the terrems because those of. 137 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,799 Speaker 4: Us that have been in combat like him, like myself 138 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 4: and others. I've been wounded in combat and been to 139 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:04,840 Speaker 4: more than one more. You want to deter wards. You 140 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 4: don't want to have to engage your wars, and you 141 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 4: want to focus on. 142 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 5: War fighting and lethality. That's the role of the Secretary 143 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 5: of Defense. He's going to have their sixty five confirmed people. 144 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 5: They've already named a very strong team to be in 145 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 5: there with him. John Falon to be Secretary of the Navy. 146 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 5: Dan Driscol to be Secretary of the Army. Brince Kobe 147 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 5: a real expert on policy, Mike Duffy a very tremendous 148 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 5: expert in the acquisition area, and the deputy Feinberg a 149 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 5: very very successful businessman, and the number two person is 150 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 5: the chief operating officer. So the notion that somehow the 151 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 5: Secretary of Defense is got to run the Pentagon all 152 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 5: by themselves. 153 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 4: And plus you've got the service chiefs, you got the 154 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 4: Joint chiefs, you got the war fighting combat and commander. 155 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 5: So in my judgment, it takes that kind of a team, 156 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 5: and the names that I've seen so far, because I 157 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 5: know most of them have worked with them over the years, 158 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 5: very experienced, is going to be a very strong team. 159 00:07:58,920 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 4: General. 160 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: We all remember John Tower in nineteen eighty nine. I 161 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: don't know if you have any personal anecdotes from that 162 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: experience or any firsthand stories, but can you speak to 163 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: our audience about how rare it would be for a 164 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: nominee like this to go down in a vote and 165 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: committee or on the floor. 166 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 5: Well, in history, the only one that has not been 167 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 5: approved was John Tower, and that was a very sad day. 168 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 4: He was a great chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. 169 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 4: The full expectation was that. 170 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 5: He would be confirmed, but there were issues that came 171 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 5: up during the confirmation process, particularly as it relates to. 172 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:33,079 Speaker 4: The FBI re court that. 173 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 5: Him not being approved, But the Committee and the Congress 174 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 5: turned around and the Senate very quickly and put Dick 175 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 5: Cheney in very quickly after John Tower's nomination was not approved. 176 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 5: And so I think, frankly, the Senate deserves to give 177 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 5: Pete headsp an up or down vote on day one. 178 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 5: He's the only other civilian in the war fighting chain 179 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 5: to come in from the Commander in chief to the 180 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 5: combatant commands. We need a Secretary of Defense on there 181 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 5: on day one, and he should get an upper down vote, 182 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 5: which has been the president for secretaries of the Defense, 183 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 5: and people that want to vote for him can vote 184 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 5: for him. 185 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 4: People that want to vote a gist him vote against him. 186 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 5: And you know, a majority vote rules, and if he 187 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 5: gets a majority vote then he will be eligible to 188 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 5: be sworn in and appointed day one. But he deserves 189 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,719 Speaker 5: an upper down vote on January twentieth. That's been the 190 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 5: plan and the president going all the way back to 191 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:28,839 Speaker 5: Democrat Republican presidents that on a new president that has 192 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 5: a new Secretary of Defense gets an upper down vote 193 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 5: on day one, and I hope. 194 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 4: That will be the case. 195 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 2: Well, and assuming he is confirmed ultimately to lead this position. 196 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 2: Talk if you will, general about what exactly he's going 197 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 2: to inherit If we've heard in this hearing a lot 198 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 2: of kind of bureaucratical challenges, if you will, about the 199 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 2: acquisition process, about an audit for the DoD. But then 200 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 2: there's also the very real challenges in multiple theaters around 201 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 2: the world where there are live conflicts or the threat 202 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:57,719 Speaker 2: of conflicts. How is he going to be able to 203 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,559 Speaker 2: navigate both those internal and external questions. 204 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 5: Look, he's inheriting the same challenges as the last two 205 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 5: or three presidents of HAAD. We live in a world 206 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:08,200 Speaker 5: that's more dangerous and unstable than the peak of the 207 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 5: Cold War. We don't have the right strategy for dealing 208 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 5: with the threats that we face from Russia to China, Iran, 209 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 5: North Korea in global terrorism. We need to get back 210 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 5: to basically being able to deter and if the Turrets 211 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 5: fails to fight and win two major theater wards on 212 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 5: a near simultaneous fasis, we're not getting the bang for 213 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 5: the buck we should for the dollars we spend in 214 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 5: the Pentagon in constant dollars, and we're spending more than 215 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 5: the peak of the Reagan build up. 216 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 4: And the forts and fifty percent smaller. 217 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 5: One of the things he brought out today is we 218 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 5: need to get people, you know. 219 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:39,839 Speaker 4: Into the combat arms. 220 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 5: And we have over three hundred thousand active duty military 221 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 5: serving in inherently non governmental jobs are serving in the 222 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 5: rear with the gear. The overhead in the Pentagon is massive. 223 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 5: The requirements process needs performed, the acquisition process needs performed. 224 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 5: We spend over four hundred and twenty billion dollars a 225 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,080 Speaker 5: year in the Pentagon on goods and services, supplies and equipment, 226 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 5: and about the only thing you can say about that 227 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 5: out but has been more, take longer, get less. 228 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 4: And these problems are well known. 229 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 5: He's going to with his team going to have to 230 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:10,960 Speaker 5: tackle every single one of these. If you want to 231 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,199 Speaker 5: improve the turrens, the turrens is really important. You need 232 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 5: to have the military capability. It has to be credible 233 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 5: and your adversaries have to believe that you're going. 234 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 4: To use it. 235 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 5: So he's going to inherit some significant challenges in all 236 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 5: of these areas. 237 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: We're spending some time on Bloomberg TV and Radio with 238 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: retired Marine Corps General Arnold Pernaro, who literally wrote the 239 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 1: book on Senate Confirmations. General, I want to ask you 240 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 1: about some criticism that we've heard from Democratic members of 241 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: the committee about the FBI background check into Pete Hegseth. 242 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: There are multiple reports here that the FBI did not 243 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: interview Hegseeth's ex wives or the woman who actually accused 244 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,079 Speaker 1: him of sexual assaults in twenty seventeen. 245 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 4: How unusual is that? 246 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: Would that have been writing on a request from a 247 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: committee leadership to look into that and interview those women, 248 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: or is this a problem for the FBI to have 249 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 1: not been as comprehensive as it should be. 250 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 5: First of all, I want to applaud the new leadership 251 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 5: in the Senate, the Leader Thun and others. 252 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 4: It says, look, we're going. 253 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 5: To require the same kind of FBI fulfilled investigations for 254 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 5: the Trump nominees that has been required in every single 255 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 5: previous president Democratic, Republican. And so that request doesn't come 256 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 5: from the committees, it doesn't come from the Senate. It 257 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 5: comes from the White House Council's office, in this case, 258 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 5: the Transition Council, because their White House Council for Trump 259 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 5: has not been set up till January twentieth, and so 260 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 5: they have the FBI go out and do what's called 261 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 5: a full filled investigation of potential nominees, and then that 262 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 5: material is provided to the chairman and ranking member on 263 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 5: the Center of Armed Services Committee, and it's at the 264 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 5: chairman's discretion, as it was when my boss was chairman 265 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 5: for eight years, as to who else might get access 266 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 5: to that. One of the things you have to understand, 267 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 5: it's not like an Inspector General report. It's not like 268 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 5: a Article thirty two in the military, where there's an 269 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 5: investigation their findings and their recommendations and they come to 270 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 5: a conclusion and they say. 271 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 4: Well, this person is right and this person's law. 272 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 5: It's just raw investigatory files and they can be very misleading, 273 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 5: and so the FBI reports have to be treated with 274 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 5: great deference in terms of what they can then used for. 275 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 5: One of the things that I felt and people know 276 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,560 Speaker 5: that was very unfair in the Power thing is that 277 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 5: there were a lot of things that got leaked out 278 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 5: of the FBI report that weren't corroborated, and it was 279 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 5: very damaging. And so I think the approach that Chairman 280 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 5: Wicker is taking in terms of restricting the FBI report 281 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 5: is appropriate in terms of what's in it, None of 282 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 5: us are ever going to know because it's not going 283 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 5: to be made available publicly, and certainly you have to 284 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,199 Speaker 5: rely on the investigatory skills of the FBI that they 285 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 5: did a thorough investigation. And so typically what happens is 286 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 5: if the Council believes there's disqualifying information in an FBI 287 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 5: fulfilling instigation, they'll notify the President and the President will 288 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:04,319 Speaker 5: have to decide whether he still. 289 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 4: Wants to go forward or not. 290 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 5: The fact that the report was provided to the chairman 291 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 5: ranking member, the fact that that things are going forward, 292 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 5: I just I don't have firsthand knowledge. I certainly don't 293 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 5: have access to it. I don't have any leaked information. 294 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 5: My work and assumption would be there's nothing in that 295 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 5: report that's disqualifying, and because the proceedings are going forward, all. 296 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 2: Right, General, thank you so much for joining us on 297 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 2: balance of Power today. That's retired Marine Corps General Ernold Panaro, 298 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 2: who is Joe mentioned. Is also the author of if Confirmed, 299 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 2: An Insider's view of the Senate confirmation process.