For those criticizing the FBI for allegedly targeting Donald Trump, it’s interesting how quickly some Republicans rely on the bureau for background checks when needing to rescue a Trump nominee facing trouble.
Back in October 2018, Brett M. Kavanaugh was the one benefiting. The then-President and Senate Republicans pushed the FBI to look into sexual assault allegations against the Supreme Court nominee. This was a move to satisfy Republican senators whose lack of support could have stopped Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
But when I dug into this for a book, I discovered the Trump administration guided the FBI on whom to interview, disregarding witnesses with crucial details, and imposed a tight deadline to wrap things up. The resulting report, which simply outlined interviews without making any judgments, gave Trump and Senate Republicans enough ground to inaccurately claim Kavanaugh’s innocence, despite Democrats’ protests. The actual report remains a secret to this day, leaving it as one side’s word against the other’s.
Kavanaugh, now comfortably secure on the Supreme Court, recently cast a vote—though in the minority—against a ruling on Trump’s penalties for secretive payments to a former adult film actress.
Even before stepping foot back in the White House, Trump replayed his tactic with the FBI—dubbed the “Trump card”. This time, it seems to be working for Pete Hegseth, a choice for Defense Secretary who seems glaringly unsuitable. Hegseth, a former Fox News host and National Guard officer, faced an incomplete and hasty FBI check over accusations of sexual assault and heavy drinking, yet breezed through his Senate hearing without a challenge from the Republican majority.
Hegseth seemed headed for rejection but now looks set for confirmation—an embarrassment for the Senate. Contrast this with 1989 when Texas Republican John Tower was rejected as Defense nominee over similar personal issues, showing how much has changed. Nowadays, under Trump, Republican senators shy away from confronting the President’s decisions, even if they’re troubled by them. Behind the facade, many realize Hegseth isn’t fit to helm the Pentagon, a behemoth with nearly 3 million employees and a $900-billion budget.
Hegseth’s candidacy happening just before Trump’s upcoming inauguration hints at a repeat of Trump taking liberties with government powers, likely more so than during his first term.
With the Supreme Court’s right-wing supermajority, which he helped establish, now providing immunity to Trump and future presidents for offenses cloaked as official duties, Trump isn’t hesitating. His current picks show a shift to proven loyalists.
Hegseth pales in comparison with Trump’s first Defense Secretary, James Mattis—a seasoned Marine general who resigned after two years in protest of Trump’s erratic moves. It’s unlikely Trump would have risked nominating someone as controversial as Hegseth during his first term when bipartisan rejection was a genuine threat.
This saga should be a wake-up call (though I doubt it will be): It’s high time to end the pretense of FBI checks as endorsements of presidential nominees unworthy of the roles.
Initially, Trump’s team resisted FBI checks for questionable Cabinet choices. But negative media reports on Hegseth’s alleged misconduct, public intoxication, and financial issues with veterans groups forced a rethink, prompting them to ask the FBI to “investigate” Hegseth.
They replicated the Kavanaugh approach: Trump’s team directed the FBI on whom to interview, bypassing other leads, Democrats close to the matter report. For instance, they overlooked a woman who had reached a financial settlement with Hegseth over an alleged rape, and others keen to share insights weren’t followed up with sufficiently.
Nonetheless, Trump and his allies, including Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, known for her advocacy on sexual assault issues, were appeased. Ernst and other initial skeptics faced intense pressure from Trump’s circle.
The resulting report is even more concealed than Kavanaugh’s. It was only shown to the Republican chair and senior Democrat of the Armed Services Committee, exactly as Trump’s team preferred. Senator Elizabeth Warren called out on CNN, “If there’s nothing negative, let’s see the report; they could display it if it’s clear.”
Throughout his hearing, Hegseth dismissed the allegations as “anonymous smears”, despite most not being anonymous. He paradoxically acknowledged them as part of his “redemption story.” As Senator Mark Kelly put it, “It can’t be both,” pointing out that an honest recount could have disqualified him.
The Armed Services Committee is expected to vote on Hegseth’s nomination soon, likely advancing it to the Senate. Anticipate his confirmation strictly along party lines, with senators pointing to an FBI check they never actually examined.
@jackiekcalmes
