'Gosh, We Need Straight Answers…’: GOP Senator Kennedy Refuses to Let Hegseth Off the Hook on Iran

[00:00:00]Senator Kennedy.

[00:00:06]>> Thank Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you all for being here today.

[00:00:10]Uh General, in in the war between Russia and Ukraine, who do we want to win?

[00:00:21]>> Uh sir, I want I want Ukraine to win.

[00:00:25]>> Is Russia America's friend?

[00:00:28]>> I'm sorry. Sorry, I couldn't quite hear your question.

[00:00:30]>> Is Russia America's friend?

[00:00:33]>> Uh I I think that depends on your definition of friend. I think it's a complicated relationship.

[00:00:42]But no, I don't think they're our friends.

[00:00:45]>> Thank you.

[00:00:50]If we could cut off Russia's cash flow, which sub- suspend which depends substantially on its sale of oil, would that help Ukraine win?

[00:01:04]>> Sir, I think militarily anytime you can restrict uh resources and cash flows against uh an adversary, >> I have I have so much respect for you, but I have so little time.

[00:01:17]>> Yes, sir. I'll try to be briefer.

[00:01:19]>> me succinct answers.

[00:01:21]>> Yes, sir.

[00:01:22]It would It would assist a >> Would it help? Would it?

[00:01:24]>> Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

[00:01:26]>> Okay.

[00:01:27]Um if we could stop people, entities, and countries from buying Russia's oil, that would help cut off its cash flow, wouldn't it?

[00:01:41]>> Yes, sir.

[00:01:43]>> We have a bill to do that, as I'm sure you're aware.

[00:01:50]We have the votes today to pass it, overwhelmingly.

[00:01:58]I have also have enormous respect and admiration for our majority leader, Senator Thune.

[00:02:08]But I hope everybody on this panel will today contact Senator Thune and ask him to bring that bill to the floor.

[00:02:22]We should vote on it at a minimum of next week.

[00:02:30]Some of my colleagues, General, want America to just stop in Iran.

[00:02:39]End the blockade.

[00:02:41]Bring all of our our our warriors home.

[00:02:46]What would be the consequences of that in your estimation?

[00:02:53]>> Sir, I think termination criteria is always a political decision. However, I assess that Iran will continue to be a challenge moving forward. So, we have to be thoughtful about that.

[00:03:06]>> put tolls on the strait?

[00:03:08]>> I don't know, sir. That's a decision that's a hypothetical and will depend on what happens in the future.

[00:03:14]>> We got a blockade to stop them.

[00:03:16]>> We do, sir. That's putting economic pressure on them.

[00:03:19]>> I'm not asking you for I'm not trying to get you in trouble. I know your advice to the president it is uh it is is private. But this is serious as four heart attacks and a stroke.

[00:03:34]Now, what happens if we come home and end the blockade to the world?

[00:03:43]>> Sir, Iran has the potential to continue to be a threat and we're going we will need to prepare military options to >> toll the strait?

[00:03:52]>> I sure that's a hypothetical question and I don't know the answer to that.

[00:03:56]>> Oh, it's not hypothetical. You come home We come home. It's not going to be hypothetical. You know that, General.

[00:04:03]And I do, too.

[00:04:05]And and I I appreciate your discretion.

[00:04:08]But we're down to it.

[00:04:10]We need some hard answers and some straight talk.

[00:04:14]What'll happen, Pete?

[00:04:18]>> Senator, I would I would agree with the chairman with the likely outcome is they would try to impose their will on the on the waterways in ways that that would world would not like.

[00:04:27]>> Call it a toll, call it a fee, call it an exchange, call it control, they would do something that they would try to hold it at issue. Yes, sir.

[00:04:33]>> Would they Would they try to uh to to redevelop to commence development again of a nuclear warhead?

[00:04:42]>> Um part of the reason President Trump had to have the courage to do what he did after Midnight Hammer is that they didn't give up their ambitions even though their nuclear sites had been obliterated. So, this is a regime hell-bent on nuclear ambitions and President Trump can learn that >> answers.

[00:04:56]We need straight answers.

[00:05:00]Do we have the ability to destroy whatever is underneath Pickaxe Mountain?

[00:05:10]>> A lot of Senator, a lot of our capabilities are classified, but if anybody in the world can reach anything on this on God's given God's green earth, it's the United States military, the most powerful military in the world.

[00:05:19]It's all about options and trade-offs.

[00:05:20]>> All right. I'm going to take a little extra time cuz others got it, Madam Chair. I won't abuse it. Secretary, uh are are shrimpers farmers?

[00:05:31]>> Absolutely, yes. They're farmers of the sea.

[00:05:34]>> harvesters farmers?

[00:05:35]>> Yes, and this USDA, yes.

[00:05:37]>> to compete with other countries who grow oysters and shrimp in a ditch and shoot them full of pocket full full of antibiotics?

[00:05:46]>> 100% yes.

[00:05:48]>> And if you eat too much of that foreign or foreign shrimp and oysters, you'll grow an extra ear, won't you?

[00:05:56]>> I'm not sure about that, but I know it is not good. And I also know we import 90% of our shrimp.

[00:06:00]>> the shrimp and the oysters from abroad?

[00:06:03]>> Well, it goes much larger than that. Why are we importing so much from abroad, which goes to the president's trade agenda?

[00:06:09]>> big trouble.

[00:06:10]>> Yes, you are.

[00:06:12]>> [laughter] >> Guys, look, we need straight answers now. We're down to it.

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