GOP Senator John Kennedy Dodges Question on Pete Hegseth, Then Admits He'd 'Probably Vote for Him Again'
Key Takeaways
- •Sen. John Kennedy said he would probably vote again to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth despite criticizing the departures of capable personnel.
- •Sen. Thom Tillis renewed his call for President Trump to replace Hegseth, describing it as the most inept management of military personnel he has witnessed.
- •Hegseth was confirmed earlier this year only via a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance, one of the most contentious cabinet picks of Trump's second term.
- •Hegseth continues to lose experienced military officials amid an intensifying war with Iran.
- •Removing a cabinet secretary would require presidential action or a two-thirds Senate vote, and whether more Republicans back Tillis will shape pressure on the White House.
A Republican senator found himself pressed to answer a basic question about a member of President Donald Trump's cabinet on Sunday — and ultimately delivered a striking admission.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) appeared on "Meet the Press," where host Kristen Welker questioned him about mounting criticism aimed at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran, was one of the most contentious cabinet picks of Trump's second term, winning Senate confirmation earlier this year with a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President JD Vance — a sign of how narrowly he secured the job, and how little Republican dissent would be needed to put his position in question.
Welker asked Kennedy to respond to Sen. Thom Tillis' (R-NC) renewed call for Hegseth to be replaced, as the former television personality continues to lose experienced military officials amid an intensifying war with Iran. Tillis was one of the few Republicans who voted against Hegseth's confirmation, making his renewed criticism a notable marker of continued unease within the party's own ranks.
"I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country," the North Carolina Republican wrote on X. "I urge the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it."
That post led Welker to put a direct question to Kennedy on Sunday: "Do you still have confidence in Secretary Hegseth?"
The senator scowled and replied, "Um."
After a pause, Kennedy smiled as he formulated his answer: "It's not my place to have confidence in him!"
Welker refused to let the matter drop.
"You're a senator," she reminded him.
"Let me finish," Kennedy snapped. "He seems to be firing a lot of good people."
Kennedy then offered his admission.
"I'm not worried about the personalities," he said. "I'd probably vote for him again."
The exchange illustrates the balance many Senate Republicans have struck on Hegseth: voicing unease over the Pentagon's management turmoil while stopping short of calling for his removal, which would require either presidential action or, absent that, a two-thirds Senate vote to remove a cabinet secretary. Whether more Republicans follow Tillis' lead is likely to shape how much pressure reaches the White House.
