Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says the American people really want Europe to fully shoulder the burden in Ukraine while we pat ourselves on the back and call it ‘leadership.’ Senator Angus King (I-ME) wasn’t having it.
“Secretary Hegseth, why are we abandoning Ukraine?” King asked.
“Senator, if you would hold that chart back up, I think that’s a beautiful chart,” Hegseth said. “I think that’s exactly what we want. We want Europe stepping up and funding and shouldering the burden. They are rich countries worth $20 trillion versus economy of $2 trillion.”
“Europe can step up, Europe can fund it, and they have through our PERL initiative and through our European command,” he continued without taking a shot of bourbon. That’s something, I guess.
“That’s exactly what the American people want to see,” he insisted. “Because other countries stepping up and funding that, if it’s that important to Europe, which I understand why it is, and the incursion of Russia and the bravery of the Ukrainians, then European countries should pay for it. And that’s exactly what that chart says, and that’s the administration policy.”
“We don’t have any interest in what happens in Ukraine,” King said. “Is that what you’re saying? It’s only the Europeans?”
“I’m saying the threat is far closer to rich and capable countries in Europe, and they should step up to lead the charge,” Hegseth said. “And that’s why that chart is a good thing to see.”
“They have stepped up, but I think the American people should understand that we’ve stepped back,” King shot back. “In fact, stepped back to the point of abandoning.”
“This is a war that never would have happened under President Trump, and he supports ending it through a deal, and he’s pursued that,” Hegseth said.
“So far it hasn’t happened,” King said.
What Hegseth said doesn’t make us sound like a ‘strong America’ by loudly announcing that we’re tapping out and expecting Europe to magically pick up the entire tab. It’s almost impressive how confidently he speaks for the entire country on this one—must’ve done some very scientific polling in his own echo chamber because, in fact, Europe has stepped up while we’ve abandoned Ukraine.
Trump was supposed to stop Russia’s war on Ukraine on day one. What happened there, Pete?