Rachel Maddow

He published an opinion piece this weekend in which he said, quote, "...the last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon. It is becoming a real problem for the administration." Today, the Trump administration is denying reporting from NPR that the White House has begun the process of looking for a new defense secretary to replace the embattled Pete Hegseth.

Mr. Hegseth was confirmed to his post by the narrowest Senate vote of any defense secretary ever. He has since spent his time in office seeming to prove his most trenchant critics correct. Joining us now is Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. He is the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. He wrote this today.

Mr. Hegseth was confirmed to his post by the narrowest Senate vote of any defense secretary ever. He has since spent his time in office seeming to prove his most trenchant critics correct. Joining us now is Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. He is the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. He wrote this today.

Quote, he said, Secretary of Defense is too critical of a role to be done by someone this incompetent. It is past time for Hegseth to resign or be fired. Senator Warner, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate your time tonight. Thank you, Rachel. Is this a cumulative effect in terms of Mr. Hegseth's tenure in office that led to you today calling for his resignation?

Quote, he said, Secretary of Defense is too critical of a role to be done by someone this incompetent. It is past time for Hegseth to resign or be fired. Senator Warner, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate your time tonight. Thank you, Rachel. Is this a cumulative effect in terms of Mr. Hegseth's tenure in office that led to you today calling for his resignation?

Or is it something specific about these latest revelations?

Or is it something specific about these latest revelations?

We are also now seeing officials who are close to Mr. Hegseth, people who are operating in political appointed positions at the top echelons of the Pentagon, who are all now being sort of flung out. Do you have any insight into what's going on at the top ranks there?

We are also now seeing officials who are close to Mr. Hegseth, people who are operating in political appointed positions at the top echelons of the Pentagon, who are all now being sort of flung out. Do you have any insight into what's going on at the top ranks there?

By my count, at least five top officials have resigned or been transferred or been fired just in the last few days with very little explanation as to why. And some of those people who have been fired or removed saying they themselves don't know why they've been taken out.

By my count, at least five top officials have resigned or been transferred or been fired just in the last few days with very little explanation as to why. And some of those people who have been fired or removed saying they themselves don't know why they've been taken out.

You know, Senator Warner, the first revelation about the first signal group chat about those war plans I think shocked people legitimately, even people who didn't have high expectations for the competence of this administration. It resonated deeply with the public.

You know, Senator Warner, the first revelation about the first signal group chat about those war plans I think shocked people legitimately, even people who didn't have high expectations for the competence of this administration. It resonated deeply with the public.

We know that in part from public polling on the subject, where people overwhelmingly said that people should have been fired over that, and they thought that it was overwhelmingly very serious. despite the fact that we had the White House and the Hegseth crowd sort of pushing back and saying it was no big deal.

We know that in part from public polling on the subject, where people overwhelmingly said that people should have been fired over that, and they thought that it was overwhelmingly very serious. despite the fact that we had the White House and the Hegseth crowd sort of pushing back and saying it was no big deal.

Now that there has been a second revelation of yet another instance like this, I wonder if we're approaching a point where some of your Republican colleagues in the Senate might join with you in a bipartisan way, might approach the White House, might say, listen, this was a narrow confirmation. A lot of us had doubts about him. Our doubts are being proven correct.

Now that there has been a second revelation of yet another instance like this, I wonder if we're approaching a point where some of your Republican colleagues in the Senate might join with you in a bipartisan way, might approach the White House, might say, listen, this was a narrow confirmation. A lot of us had doubts about him. Our doubts are being proven correct.

This is the guy you need to move out of here.

This is the guy you need to move out of here.

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. Sir, thank you so much for your time. I know you're a busy man right now, and I really appreciate you being here. Thank you, Rachel. All right. We've got much more news ahead here tonight. Stay with us. Busy night.