Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said Sunday on CNN's “State of the Union” that “the media should be ashamed” of its coverage of President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth. Ta.
Marin said: “Pete is a veteran, he has two Bronze Stars, he was a major in the Army. He works in the public sector. He's going to go there and make the changes that are needed at the Department of Defense. I think he's exactly what we need, so I'm confident he'll be approved in the end.”
After playing a clip of Hegseth from fellow FNC host Will Kane's podcast, Marin continued his defense.
Mullin said, “Jake, that's not to say he has an alcohol problem. That's what he was honest about. Unfortunately, a lot of our veterans come back and , they were sitting there and they had their identity in the mission. They had a job to do. They were responsible for certain things. , they get off duty and come back and sit there twiddling their thumbs. They're normal people. They've had a lot of experiences that they wouldn't have. They have memories, thoughts, sounds, smells that they still remember, and they start drinking with their peers. That doesn't mean they have a drinking problem. It's all about retirement. I mean service members have the same problem. That's why they set up the VFW. That's why they founded the Veterans of America. That's something most veterans have faced.”
He added, “It's a personal problem for the media to go after him and start writing about it as a drinking problem. I don't understand veterans, because they've never been in the field, they've never been in combat. , for they have never seen the horror that is to come, nor have they tasted the filth in their mouths; they have never heard the terrible sound; they have a sight that they can never get rid of. He didn't. I don't think it's hypocritical for them to even question that. Now, if he had a drinking problem, it would be obvious. The media should be ashamed of themselves for covering something that isn't there just because it went through the Secretary of Defense. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of all other veterans.”
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