Pete Hegseth Succumbed to Blackmail. He Can't Be Confirmed to DOD Opinion (Newsweek of all places!)

[usonian]

I was surprised to see it coming from these sources.

https://www.newsweek.com/pete-hegseth-succumbed-blackmail-he-cant-confirmed-dod-opinion-2013704

By Greg Kelly
Marine Corps veteran, Newsmax host

Pete Hegseth, President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, revealed his vulnerability to blackmail in a single damning statement. Asked by Megyn Kelly why he paid money to a woman accusing him of sexual assault, Hegseth responded, "I paid her because I had to—or at least I thought I did at the time. I had a great job at Fox and a wonderful marriage... It is not what I should have done, but I did it to protect that. I did it to protect my wife, I did it to protect my family, and I did it to protect my job. It was a negotiation purely to try to prevent that."

This is the essence of blackmail: coercion through exploitation. It's a dark and dangerous reality. And it disqualifies Hegseth from leading the Pentagon—or any national security role under longstanding federal policy.

National security regulations have been clear for decades: Individuals susceptible to coercion cannot hold sensitive positions. Executive Order 10450, signed in 1953 and still in effect, explicitly bars individuals with vulnerabilities—such as blackmail—from positions of national security. This principle is reinforced by Standard Form 86, the mandatory questionnaire for all national security roles, which screens for "vulnerability to exploitation and coercion."

Hegseth's admission aligns directly with these disqualifiers. He has already demonstrated a willingness to pay off his accuser, allegedly to protect his personal and professional life. As Secretary of Defense, his responsibilities would be infinitely more critical, and his adversaries exponentially more dangerous.

Text is up at pastebin if you don't want to see the other RWNJ posts promoted at Newsweek.

https://pastebin.com/raw/zGKjsR2X

[BoRaGard]

1. "I did it for the most ignoble of reasons." - The Hegster (R - Armageddon)

this entity means to get America into some deep religious mayhem

[newdeal2]

2. I mean his boss does the same thing

And he has the top job in America.

[rso]

3. Hegseth

The Washington Post just today also agreed that he should not be confirmed.

[struggle4progress]

4. "Nobody cares if you assault women but please don't pay them!"

[erronis]

21. don't get caught. millions of $s are transferred to settle these 'disputes'.

There should be a law.

And the law should be enforced.

[Kid Berwyn]

5. Spy who Came in for the Gold

Happens a lot for surprisingly little.

[Irish_Dem]

6. I was only doing it for the dear wife and kids and TV network. What a noble man.

Was he raping the woman for her own good too?

[Demovictory9]

9. And he belongs to a "male is the leader" of women and family..

How can he lead an organization with women soldiers?

[Irish_Dem]

12. The white male hierarchy knows what is best for women.

He will do what he thinks best for them and they will like or else.

[Wonder Why]

14. Next time you see him, take him out for a drink. 😀,

[Irish_Dem]

19. Maybe three or four or six drinks.

I sip Coca Cola and watch him slide off the bar stool.

[Prairie Gates]

7. He wasn't blackmailed: he drugged and raped a woman and paid her hush money

Enough nonsense.

[Orrex]

11. Really, though, that's like a minimum requirement for Republicans.

[Irish_Dem]

13. But he has to make himself the victim. The woman who raped him is just a mean woman.

We are supposed to feel sorry for him.

[H2O Man]

8. Recommended.

What a pathetic, mere shell of a man he is. Thank you for this.

[Maru Kitteh]

10. Yeah. I don't think that matters to the Senate or his boss so . .

fat lotta good it will do, imo.

[jmowreader]

15. I don't think that's going to be a problem

Donald Trump was recently convicted on 31 felonies related to doing the same fucking thing, and he's going back to the White House.

That Pete Hegseth is a troglodyte should be more than enough to keep him out of the job.

[NoMoreRepugs]

16. This will be seen as a positive bonafide by the Republicans in the Senate.

Stop deluding yourselves that they care about ANYTHING other than what Christ, uhh - I mean Trump wants.

[chowder66]

17. "vulnerability to exploitation and coercion." This should disqualify most if not all based on their

ability to be exploited and coerced via social media by russian, chinese, iranian and ugly american trolls and their conspiracy bullshit.

[VBNMW]

18. Blackmail, campaign contributions

Aren’t they the same now?

[ShazzieB]

20. AFAIC, the drinking alone is enough reason not to confirm him.

That, and his refusal to admit that he even has a problem. Just look at this classic alcoholic/addiict denial bull pucky:

In an August 2021 appearance on The Will Cain Show, Hegseth admitted to heavy drinking, saying, "I'd look around at 10 o'clock and be like, 'What am I going to do today? How about I drink some beers? How about I go have some lunch and have some beers? How about I meet my one or two buddies and have some beers?'" He went on: "And one beer leads to many, leads to self-medication, leads to 'I've earned this.'

Hegseth is a hot mess express, in the worst possible way. Being susceptible to blackmail is just the cherry on top of the raw sewage sundae. If the Senate actually confirms him, I will definitely lose what little is left of my faith in humanity.

Which reminds me, I need to write both my senators stat!

[usonian]

22. If you have ever applied for a security clearance

you know that he checks all the wrong boxes.

[DeeDeeNY]

23. But will he get confirmed anyway?

According to the Times, "conservative" organizations are targeting Republican senators, saying that they will pay a price if they don't back him.

[Botany]

24. So he paid off a sex worker and or a blackmailer

... to protect his wife? Sure, I buy that. What was he doing in order to get put into position that such payments were seen by him as
necessary?

I was born at night but not last night.