Susan Rice, a former national security advisor during President Barack Obama’a administration, was upfront when discussing what she thinks of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as rumors swirl concerning his future in the Trump administration.
According to The Hill, during a conversation with “No Lie With BTC” host Brian Taylor Cohen, Rice did not pull any punches as she described Hegseth in unflattering terms when discussing some of the fallout from the so-called Signalgate controversy.
“Well, if you’re a white male Christian cisgender macho MAGA man, you can be as dumb as a rock and be deemed qualified to serve as secretary of Defense. That’s apparently what we’ve learned from this episode,” Rice told Cohen.
Rice continued, juxtapositioning the focus of the Trump administration on fighting diversity, equity, and inclusion with how unqualified Hegseth is in her eyes.
“DEI has been used as a slur to suggest that anybody who might be a woman, might be a person of color, might be a religious minority, might have a disability…might be a veteran of Native descent, anybody who has benefited in any way, shape, or form from the notion that we all should be treated equally and that we should be viewed on the basis of our merits and not discounted because we happen to be a woman or happen to be a person of color. Anybody who fits the mold of somebody who is not a white Christian cisgender male, is by definition in this administration, deemed inferior,” Rice said.
According to The Intercept, Rice had been a member of the Defense Policy Board until Hegseth purportedly removed members of the board after a 45-day review on April 24, but the timing suggests that Hegseth actually removed those members after an outcry from right-wing influencers on social media began to spread.
In an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, a fired aide of Hegseth, Dan Caldwell, mentioned that the board currently included people who Caldwell believed were “incredibly hostile” to the agenda of Donald Trump.
Caldwell named Rice specifically as a source of leaks within Hegseth’s Department of Defense, leaks he himself had been blamed for.
“She (Rice) and a bunch of other people who are incredibly hostile to the president and his worldview remain on the Defense Policy Board,” Caldwell told Carlson. “I would just say, if you want to look where leaks are maybe coming from, that would be a place to start.”
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell implied in a statement he released that the changes reflect the values and direction of the Trump administration.
“Secretary Hegseth appreciates the members’ efforts on behalf of the department and the United States of America, but changes are needed to support the new strategic direction and policy priorities of the department and to ensure departmental resources are used efficiently,” Parnell stated.
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