Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman (D) signaled he may vote to confirm President-elect Donald Trump picks for Defense secretary and head of the FBI.
“You met with Pete Hegseth,” ABC News’s Jonathan Karl said in the “This Week” interview, with Fetterman responding that he did.
“You think he’s qualified to be Defense secretary?” Karl asked Fetterman.
“Well, I think we’re going to learn more. We’re going to learn more. And that, that, that hearing, and there’s going to be an FBI background and that. But, you know, my commitment, and I think I’m doing the job, is I’m going to sit down and have a conversation,” Fetterman responded.
“And the president picked these people,” he continued. “Not going to be my first choice, second choice, third choice, but that’s democracy. And to me, it would be distressing if, if he is confirmed, if the Democrats are going to turn our back collectively to the leader of the Defense. I mean, that’s astonishing, and that’s dangerous.”
“So you see yourself inclined to be open to supporting these controversial nominees. You may not support them all, but you see yourself —” Karl said.
“Potentially. But there is going to be some that I will vote yes, and there’s some maybe that I’ll vote no,” Fetterman responded.
Fetterman also said in the interview with Karl that he and Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, had recently had a meeting. Patel has commonly referred to the FBI as under the “deep state,” also describing many of those opposed to the president-elect as “government gangsters” who must be “held accountable and exposed.”
“So did you come across liking Kash Patel more than you thought you would? Thinking you could support him?” Karl asked Fetterman in the “This Week” interview.
“I mean, how much you can absorb in 30 minutes. But I have learned things, and I have heard things, and I have no regrets for having these. I never left any of those interviews saying, well, that was a waste of time, or I regret that,” Fetterman replied.
FBI background checks? By THIS FBI? For an administration led by a President this FBI has hounded for 9 years? When delivered, those background checks need to go right into the shredder.