As Trump-pick for Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth dodges questions on every part from consuming on the job and dishonest on his wives to invading Greenland, one in every of his bumbling sidesteps actually stands proud: he can not reply whether or not or not he would shoot protestors if Donald Trump requested him to.
The query throughout his affirmation listening to this morning got here from Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), who reminded Hegseth of the time Trump, as president, ordered former Secretary of Protection Mark Esper to shoot protestors within the legs within the aftermath of the George Floyd homicide in 2020 (to which Esper didn’t comply). “Would you perform such an order from President Trump?” she requested.
However relatively than reply the easy query, which might be a no brainer from any patriotic American, Hegseth started to ramble like a retiree at a knitting membership, reminiscing about the place he was in the course of the Floyd protests. Pressured to interrupt his long-winded yarn, with time operating quick, Hirono requested once more.
“Would you perform an order to shoot protestors within the legs?”
And Hegseth appeared to reply the query — by not answering. As a substitute, he continued to ramble.
“That sounds to me that you’d adjust to such an order,” Hirono concluded. “You will shoot protesters within the legs.” To which Hegseth agreed with a heavy, silent blink. (See video under, posted by Aaron Rupar.)