Incoming National Security Adviser Rep. Mike Waltz (R‑FL) said Thursday that President-elect Donald Trump is “absolutely” standing by Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth.
When asked if Trump is standing by Hegseth, Waltz responded, “He absolutely is. He absolutely is.”
“Pete is there and was put there to reform a place that badly needs reform. That’s why President Trump nominated him. I can tell you what I’m hearing from the soldiers. What I’m hearing from the troops is a sigh of relief and cheering Pete on,” he said to Fox New’s Jesse Watters.
Waltz, a retired Army Green Beret colonel, blasted the problems plaguing the Pentagon under the current leadership.
“This is a building that failed an audit, not once, not twice, but seven times of over $800 billion, and by the way, they had seven years to get ready for the audit, so that’s 14 years in and of itself,” he said.
“Recruiting is in crisis. Readiness is down. I held up a bag in one of my own hearings, a bag of bolts that cost $90,000 by the time the Department of Defense certifies them,” Waltz said.
“One other thing Pete knows and will fight for is our enemy’s bullets don’t care about race, religion, gender or anything else. And that’s the mentality Pete’s going to get us back to,” he said.
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