Mark Warner: Mike Waltz Confirmation Hearing For UN Will Be 'Brutal', Says Hegseth 'Should Be Gone'

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On CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) spoke about President Trump's cabinet.

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00:00I don't know how anybody could do these two big jobs, and they're frankly very different.

00:06One is actually trying to diplomatically work with friends and adversaries around the world.

00:12Unfortunately, the number of adversaries has gone up dramatically as Trump's approach has been so awful to our allies.

00:19The other, our national security advisor, has really grown into a major job.

00:23Maybe slimming down some of that portfolio could make sense,

00:27but I don't see how any individual could do both of those.

00:30And then you add the other fact, Jake, that he's still overseeing the remnants of what used to be American soft power for 70 years, USAID.

00:39And even for a Marco Rubio, I think it's too much.

00:42But you think well of him. You think that he's an able guy.

00:45Listen, I've worked very well with him for years.

00:47I've been disappointed by some of the actions he's taken as secretary and this kind of kowtowing to Trump.

00:54As a matter of fact, it appeared that cabinet meeting earlier this week where everyone went around and basically paid kudos to the great leader.

01:03It was something that, frankly, I would have expected out of North Korea, maybe not out of a cabinet meeting in America.

01:09Secretary Rubio's new job comes after President Trump ousted Mike Waltz from the National Security Advisor position.

01:15Now the Senate is going to need to vote on whether he can serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

01:22This is after he shared some sensitive information on sensitive intelligence.

01:28On Signal, not to mention accidentally adding a reporter, Jeff Goldberg, to that Signal chat.

01:33Do you have faith in him to be U.N. ambassador?

01:36I think it will be a brutal confirmation hearing.

01:41Walt's at least acknowledged a bit of a mistake.

01:43I think he's going to have tough questions, not only from Democrats, but from Republicans.

01:48But the guy that should be gone is Pete Exeth, who is so far beyond his abilities,

01:53who I've challenged repeatedly.

01:56Come down to Norfolk, Virginia, and explain to the friends of the sailors who are on the Truman.

02:02That was where the Truman was the aircraft carrier, the jets were launched that went against the Hooties.

02:07And try to explain how that information getting out wouldn't have put their loved ones in harm's way.

02:12Hegs, that said Joe, but also candidly, as vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, former chair,

02:18Tulsi Gabbard, who I don't think there's a day that goes by, she is the director of national intelligence,

02:22isn't out literally trashing the intelligence workforce.

02:27So you've got our two major areas of protecting our country, the Defense Department,

02:32and all of our intelligence community.

02:34There's not a day that goes by that I don't hear people's morale is plummeting

02:38because their lack of confidence in these leaders.

02:40Speaking of these constituents of yours, representing Virginia, where so many government officials and employees work,

02:46the Washington Post is reporting that the CIA is set to cut 1,200 positions,

02:52and thousands of more jobs will be eliminated across other intelligence agencies.

02:55I know they live in Virginia.

02:57What are Republican senators telling you privately about this deterioration of the workforce in the intelligence community?

03:07Well, I raise this virtually every meeting, oftentimes in private because we're in classified settings.

03:14And I hear a lot of, you know, gosh, Mark, keep talking about this.

03:17Yes, this is important.

03:19I'm basically imploring my Republican colleagues, at least go out and say you have faith in our intelligence workforce.

03:26With this kind of approach, you know, and Jake, it costs about $340,000 to train a CIA officer,

03:33get a clearance, go through the training process, when we are going to be laying off or accritting, you know,

03:41a lot of these younger members, who in their right mind is going to want to go be a CIA officer,

03:48go work for the NSA where we do cryptography?

03:51You know, they can all go make much more money in the tech world,

03:54but we are undermining what I think would be a potential next generation of workers in the intelligence domain.

04:01And for that matter, across the federal government,

04:04we're going to be paying the price for this first 100 days plus of rapid cuts, I think literally for years.

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