Peter Savodnik

And I guess what gives me like the most concern about the new secretary of defense is that he's all about this warrior ethos, the tattoos, the kind of there's the crassness, the bull in the China shop thing. It's sort of like a wannabe Trump. That is not a Jim Mattis or a Bob Gates.

It's not the kind of person with gravitas and sobriety who can make, I guess, rapid fire decisions that will affect who lives, who dies, who can do diplomacy. Should we be worried about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth dealing with the Chinese and defending American interests in light of sort of this kind of new Cold War-ish moment that we find ourselves in?

It's not the kind of person with gravitas and sobriety who can make, I guess, rapid fire decisions that will affect who lives, who dies, who can do diplomacy. Should we be worried about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth dealing with the Chinese and defending American interests in light of sort of this kind of new Cold War-ish moment that we find ourselves in?

It's not the kind of person with gravitas and sobriety who can make, I guess, rapid fire decisions that will affect who lives, who dies, who can do diplomacy. Should we be worried about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth dealing with the Chinese and defending American interests in light of sort of this kind of new Cold War-ish moment that we find ourselves in?

the many, many instances in which the Secretary of Defense is called upon to exercise supremely good judgment. And these are things that we probably never, ever hear about. I know after 9-11, for example, there was the new rule about shooting down commercial airliners.

the many, many instances in which the Secretary of Defense is called upon to exercise supremely good judgment. And these are things that we probably never, ever hear about. I know after 9-11, for example, there was the new rule about shooting down commercial airliners.

the many, many instances in which the Secretary of Defense is called upon to exercise supremely good judgment. And these are things that we probably never, ever hear about. I know after 9-11, for example, there was the new rule about shooting down commercial airliners.

or whether to send troops into across borders with whom we don't have, into countries with whom we don't have a status of forces agreement. And there are all these questions about, we have to make decisions right now, it's 2 a.m., and you, the Secretary of Defense, are one of the few people in government who is in a position to make a decision

or whether to send troops into across borders with whom we don't have, into countries with whom we don't have a status of forces agreement. And there are all these questions about, we have to make decisions right now, it's 2 a.m., and you, the Secretary of Defense, are one of the few people in government who is in a position to make a decision

or whether to send troops into across borders with whom we don't have, into countries with whom we don't have a status of forces agreement. And there are all these questions about, we have to make decisions right now, it's 2 a.m., and you, the Secretary of Defense, are one of the few people in government who is in a position to make a decision

about whether we are going to kill somebody, whether we're going to take some action that may or may not do a good bit of good or bad. It could have all kind of castrating effects. But all that revolves around judgment. And I guess, not I guess, my big, big concern about Hegseth is that he doesn't in any way emanate solid, good judgment. I mean, there's brashness. There's all kinds of trolling.

about whether we are going to kill somebody, whether we're going to take some action that may or may not do a good bit of good or bad. It could have all kind of castrating effects. But all that revolves around judgment. And I guess, not I guess, my big, big concern about Hegseth is that he doesn't in any way emanate solid, good judgment. I mean, there's brashness. There's all kinds of trolling.

about whether we are going to kill somebody, whether we're going to take some action that may or may not do a good bit of good or bad. It could have all kind of castrating effects. But all that revolves around judgment. And I guess, not I guess, my big, big concern about Hegseth is that he doesn't in any way emanate solid, good judgment. I mean, there's brashness. There's all kinds of trolling.

Frankly, the stuff about the transgender ban worries me. It seems very political, and it's a kind of signal, but it's not sober judgment. It's not the kind of mind that I imagine sort of making clear-headed, smart decisions under enormous pressure. What evidence do we have that when those decisions have to be made, he's going to make the right decisions?

Frankly, the stuff about the transgender ban worries me. It seems very political, and it's a kind of signal, but it's not sober judgment. It's not the kind of mind that I imagine sort of making clear-headed, smart decisions under enormous pressure. What evidence do we have that when those decisions have to be made, he's going to make the right decisions?

Frankly, the stuff about the transgender ban worries me. It seems very political, and it's a kind of signal, but it's not sober judgment. It's not the kind of mind that I imagine sort of making clear-headed, smart decisions under enormous pressure. What evidence do we have that when those decisions have to be made, he's going to make the right decisions?

We'll be right back with Brianna Wu and Maddy Raleigh. Stay with us. I'd like to pivot to what is happening right now on Capitol Hill, the RFK hearings, which will be fun.

We'll be right back with Brianna Wu and Maddy Raleigh. Stay with us. I'd like to pivot to what is happening right now on Capitol Hill, the RFK hearings, which will be fun.

We'll be right back with Brianna Wu and Maddy Raleigh. Stay with us. I'd like to pivot to what is happening right now on Capitol Hill, the RFK hearings, which will be fun.

RFK, as you know, ran an insurgent presidential campaign and started out as a Democrat, became an independent, and then wound up, of course, in the end endorsing Donald Trump. He has become, I think, a sort of vehicle or emblem of kind of disaffected, floating Americans who don't have clear of political allegiance anymore and have lost faith entirely in our institutions.