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‘He's a lot to learn’; Pete Hegseth blasted for ‘absurd political attacks’ on Black Hawk pilot Captain Rebecca Lobach
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has faced criticism for his “absurd political attacks” in the wake of deadly plane-helicopter collision in Washington, DC.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has faced criticism for his “absurd political attacks” in the wake of deadly Black Hawk and American Airlines Flight 5342 collision in Washington, DC, which claimed the lives of three soldiers and 67 others.
Investigations are being conducted to find out what caused the crash, which is now regarded as the greatest US aviation tragedy in nearly 25 years.
Pete Hegseth ‘has a lot to learn,’ says Kelly Magsamen
Hegseth, who backed President Donald Trump's contentious claim that diverse hiring practices were to blame for the deadly incident, said: “The environment around which we choose pilots or air traffic controllers, as the president pointed out correctly yesterday, better be the highest standard.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's former chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, chastised Hegseth for “implying Captain Rebecca Lobach was not qualified due to her gender.”
During Biden's administration, Capt. Lobach was also acknowledged as a White House military social aide who worked with him on official state engagements. Her family honored her dual persona in their eulogy, calling her a fiery fighter with the composure of an experienced diplomat.
In an interview with Fox News, Magsamen stated Hegseth “has a lot to learn,” stressing that the “entire force and their families” listen when he speaks as the Secretary of Defense.
Stressing that the people look at him for support and direction and not skepticism, she blasted him for implying that the pilot “wasn't qualified” due to her gender.
She suggested that he should be in favor of all three Army families and a comprehensive investigation. “To add a layer of stress to this one family in their time of grief is shocking.”
“Imagine having to worry about political attacks on your daughter while grieving. The Secretary should be showing leadership and consoling the families and overseeing an unbiased investigation,” Magsamen added.
Pointing out that it is Hegseth's first crisis management experience, she said things are not looking well so far.
Hegseth backed Trump's position on DEI initiatives
In support of Trump's argument that federal DEI policies may have caused the DC plane-helicopter tragedy, Hegseth stated that he doesn't care what background, race or gender they come from because Because he needs them “to be good at their job because I need my flight to land safely.”
Hitting out at Biden, he said, the former president “cared about these things” for too long.
“We are ending all of that, it's been made very clear across all of our services and commands, is it merit only and this means we will get the best of the best.”
