Posted on 02/16/2025 11:06:28 PM PST by RandFan
President Donald Trump was asked by a reporter Friday about Sen. Roger Wicker’s (R-MS) comments criticizing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s speech about Ukraine as a “rookie mistake,” and replied he had not heard about it.
Hegseth’s remarks at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels Wednesday — his first visit to NATO headquarters — raised eyebrows when he said that Ukraine would not be allowed to join NATO or return to its borders before the Russian invasion. These comments were criticized for yielding key negotiation points before the talks had even begun, and Hegseth soon walked them back.
Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, shepherded the confirmation hearings for Hegseth’s nomination to lead DOD. He was asked about the new Defense Secretary’s comments at the Munich Security Conference. The Mississippi senator replied that he was “surprised” by Hegseth’s remarks.
Hegseth “made a rookie mistake in Brussels,” said Wicker. “I don’t know who wrote the speech — it is the kind of thing Tucker Carlson could have written, and Carlson is a fool,” referring to the former Fox News host who has frequently bashed U.S. support for Ukraine
(Excerpt) Read more at mediaite.com ...
That image will haunt my sleep tonight.
Bye, Bye Wicker wish I could say it was nice knowing ya!!! These asshats STILL don’t get it!!!! They are complete fools that need to be gone!!!
I think Pete was being pragmatic or blisteringly obvious for everyone. He may want to be a little more nuanced in his public assessment, but his honesty is refreshing and it’s the damn truth. To believe otherwise is totally not looking at reality. Also, if we/USA walk away from Ukraine, Putin will own the whole damn country. IMO
They are trying to light a fire under the Euro’s butts to get this done, instead of lollygagging like they have for the last four years.
That may be but I don’t think they can do it on their own. I also think Putin will nuke Brussels, London, Berlin, and Paris before Ukraine gets in NATO. I was on a submarine that chased Ivan all over the Mediterranean in the 70’s, if he wants to hit it he will. The world is just lucky he ain’t a Muslim lunatic, he may get old and senile enough to do it though.
“lollygagging”
Exactly. They consider having a responsibility to be a burden.
“”I stand by the comments that I made on that first day in the Ukraine Contact Group — and that’s for all the press out there, who it’s difficult for them to understand that,” Hegseth told reporters Friday.”
“The reality of U.S. troops in Ukraine is unlikely. The reality of Ukraine membership in NATO as a part of negotiated settlement, unlikely,” he said.”
Why would Wicker even bring up Tucker Carlson? Was Carlson a writer for Hegseth? Has Carlson ever not been a friend of President Trump? Is Wicker trying to cause trouble? That was a rookie aide thing to say.
This idiot was a JAG Officer like Lindsey Graham.
Kissinger said the same in the link above.
Putin will not stop without that buffer area of Ukraine between Russia and NATO with no mid range nukes in Ukraine. If NATO is a true viable organization, why should US troops be needed, when NATO nations are right there on the continent. Hegseth is just pointing out the obvious to them. News that they don’t want to hear. IMO
Does Wicker want to go there with DOGE?
https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/roger-wicker/contributors?cid=N00003280&cycle=2012
Contributors 2007 - 2012
Top 20 contributors to Campaign Committee
3 EADS North America $42,500 $9,900 $32,600
4 General Atomics Yes Yes $37,900 $12,900 $25,000
5 Chevron Corp Yes Yes $36,300 $21,300 $15,000
Contributors 2021 - 2022
Rank Contributor Total Individuals PACs
1 Lockheed Martin $71,525 $60,525 $11,000
2 Seemann Composites $57,100 $57,100 $0
Wicker: Air Force Awards $48M Contract to Develop Unmanned Aircraft in Columbus, Miss.
January 4, 2018
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, today congratulated Aurora Flight Sciences for winning a $48 million Air Force contract to continue development of Orion unmanned aircraft. . .
https://sunlightfoundation.com/2008/01/16/new-boss-same-as-the-old-boss/
New Boss Same as the Old Boss
by Ellen Miller Jan 16, 2008 3:34 pm
A “two-fer” is how U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) termed his $6 million earmark for a defense contractor in his home state. He placed the earmark in a defense appropriations bill that became law in November. Despite not being requested by the Department of Defense, the funds are going for unmanned military aircraft research and development. John Pruett at POGO’s blog called it “Wicker’s Unmanned Aerial Pork.” By terming it a two-fer, Wicker was bragging how his actions accomplished the duel goals of supporting national defense and job-creation back home. What he didn’t say is that his top campaign contributor was being rewarded handsomely in the deal as well. That’s the real “two-fer.”
Last month, when Trent Lott jumped to K Street, Haley Barbour, Mississippi’s governor, appointed Wicker, a seven-term congressman from Tupelo, to the seat. Barbour said he chose Wicker because he shared Lott’s mainstream conservative philosophy. Maybe so…But he also got a guy, who like Lott, knows how to bring home the pork. Over the last several years, Wicker, as a member of the Appropriations Committee defense subcommittee, developed a close relationship with the Northern Virginia-based Aurora Flight Science. In 2005, Aurora opened an aircraft assembly plant in Wicker’s Northeast Mississippi district. And since then, the company has become Wicker’s top contributor, giving the then congressman $13,000 in 2006, according to Center for Responsive Politics data. Aurora has flown the congressman and staff on a private jet from Washington to Mississippi to attend a company event. And in 2006, Wicker’s chief of staff left to be Aurora’s lobbyist. And according to research by Taxpayers for Common Sense, Wicker submitted a $5 million earmark for Miltec Research and Technology, another defense-related company based in his district. Miltec gave Wicker $7,000 in 2006.
In 2005, Lott bragged about his ability to bring home the bacon. “The way I do it is, I fold them into bills where you can’t find it…I’ve been around here long enough to know how to bury it.” Congress’ new ethics rules have made it harder to fold things into bills where no one can find them. Lucky for Wicker, he doesn’t seem all that concerned about hiding his pork scalps.
That's Europe's problem. Not ours.
True. I think that’s what Pete pointed out to them.
Always follow the money. Good post.
Unless, Hegseth was acting under express instructions of the President.…
Which would be a rookie mistake by the president…
Unless the president is taking these issues off the table because…
He has already cut a deal with Putin by the terms of which there will be no US troops and no NATO.
Unless, he wants to forestall Ukraine and Europe from staking out positions that will interfere with his deal or, at least interfere with his intended negotiating path.
He knows they will wave the Red N flag at Russia saying U must be in N.
Thet they will claim that none of Ukraine's territory ever be sacrificed.
But Trump is putting them on notice. Start to wave that flag or start to make that claim and you are OUT OF THERE.
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