Lisa Murkowski comes out against Hegseth’s nomination as Secretary of Defense

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska became the first Republican to come out against Pete Hegseth’s nomination to become the Secretary of Defense. “While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces,” she said. “Managing the Department of Defense requires vast experience and expertise as the department is one of the most complex and powerful organizations in the world, and Mr. Hegseth’s prior roles in his career do not demonstrate to me that he is prepared for such immense responsibility,” she said. “His leadership of two veteran organizations was marked with accusations of financial mismanagement and problems with the workplace culture he fostered.” open image in gallery Murkowski said Hegseth’s past behaviors ‘demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces ‘ Murkowski has said she wanted to know more about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., saying she asked him about his debunked views that autism is linked to childhood vaccinations.