(NewsNation) — Democrats missed the chance to grill Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth on topics of national security while favoring questions about his “drinking” and “womanizing,” said Donald Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton.
“I think the way the confirmation hearing was conducted left it entirely open to the Democrats to try and make the case against Hegseth on the basis of competence, and they didn’t do it,” he said.
Bolton told NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas that Hegseth’s expertise wasn’t fully put to the test during the hearing.
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“What are you going to do in a tripolar nuclear world where China joins Russia and the U.S. (in terms of nuclear weapon capabilities)? So we just don’t know what (Hegseth) knows or doesn’t know — but we’re going to find out one way or another,” Bolton said.
He believes that barring an unforeseen event, Hegseth will be confirmed as secretary of defense on Friday evening.
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He also addressed President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke his security detail, a move that could potentially endanger the former diplomat’s life.
“I think this kind of attitude by Trump shows that what his real motivation was was entirely political,” said Bolton. “This is part of the retribution campaign.”
Trump revoked government security protection for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, his top aide, Brian Hook, and Bolton, all of whom have faced threats from Iran since they took hard-line stances on the Islamic Republic during Trump’s first administration.
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Bolton, who has been targeted for assassination by Iran, said the Republic is still looking to exact revenge for the U.S. assassination of Iranian defense official Qassem Soleimani in 2020.
“President Biden back in late 2021 ordered that I receive protection,” said Bolton. “It was ordered on the basis that the reason the Iranians were threatening to — and not just threatening, trying — to hire hitmen to assassinate me was because I carried out my official responsibilities as national security adviser.”
