Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona expressed concern on Sunday about three of President-elect Donald Trump’s national security selections, stating that they lack the necessary experience to effectively protect America.
The individuals currently awaiting Senate confirmation include Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, Kash Patel for FBI director, and Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence.
Before appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper, Kelly had a one-on-one conversation with Republican U.S. Senator Jim Banks of Indiana. Senator Banks expressed the urgency of confirming Trump’s national security cabinet in order to address the escalating threats. However, Kelly did not share the same sense of urgency.
When asked about the type of people they want for challenging positions, Kelly responded, “We want individuals who are serious about taking on these extremely difficult roles.” He emphasized the magnitude of organizations like the Department of Defense, stating that it is one of the largest enterprises in the world, with a yearly budget of $800 million and a workforce of 3 million people. Managing such an organization requires significant management experience and expertise in creating and implementing defense policy.
Pete Hegseth, a former U.S. Army major and Fox News contributor, faced intense scrutiny from Senator Kelly, a member of the Senate’s armed services committee. Senator Kelly expressed his interest in hearing Hegseth’s testimony and his compelling elevator pitch that highlights his qualifications for such an important role.
Kelly expressed his concern regarding Trump’s nominees after acknowledging the recent acts of terror in New Orleans and Las Vegas, which he described as “horrible,” especially during a holiday. He commended the efforts of law enforcement agencies involved in both cases but admitted that the Senate’s intelligence committee had not been aware of the individuals influenced by Islamic ideology.
According to Kelly, it can be challenging to determine the right time to take action because there is a need to gather comprehensive information about the entire network. The goal is to identify all the individuals involved and ascertain if there are any other malicious actors. The ultimate objective is to apprehend everyone involved, but that requires patience and strategic planning.
Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari to be youngest member of Congress
Democratic U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, along with three other incoming Congress members (Texas’ Brandon Gill, California’s Adam Gray, and West Virginia’s Riley Moore), joined Kelly on the program to discuss their goals as part of the 119th body of Congress. At 32 years old, Ansari is the youngest member in the Congress.
Ansari’s main legislative focuses include housing, reproductive rights, and climate change. While the latter two issues tend to divide along party lines, she has observed some bipartisan consensus regarding the housing supply crisis in the United States.
“We have managed to find common ground between Democrats and Republicans on the issue of housing supply,” Ansari emphasized. “Our shared objective is to increase the availability of housing in order to make it more affordable.”
Ansari expressed her enthusiasm about working alongside other young congressional members, like Greg Casar from Texas. Casar, being only 35 years old, played a significant role in inspiring Ansari to pursue her political career. Notably, Casar will be assuming the position of the congressional progressive caucus chair.
Ansari was a member of the Phoenix City Council from 2021 to 2024. Following a close and intense recount, Ansari narrowly defeated Raquel Teran by a margin of just 39 votes to secure Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District seat.