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Jake Tapper’s attempt to advance the “drinking problem” claims against one of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees was squashed as merely “honest.”

“What he was describing is what most combat veterans have faced.”

The concerted and unrelenting attacks against Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegesth, spilled once more into the Sunday shows as the president-elect held firm to his pick. Equally adamant in defending the nominee was Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R) who wasn’t having any of Tapper’s attempts to advance a narrative maligning Hegseth’s ability to lead the Defense Department.

“A number of your fellow Republican senators have publicly expressed concern about Hegseth’s…reputation for excessive alcohol drinking,” the anchor prompted after suggesting the incoming GOP majority was not sufficiently on board with Trump’s choice.

To advance that claim on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Tapper shared a recent clip of Hegseth appearing on “The Megyn Kelly Show” denying problems with alcohol before sharing a 2021 anecdote from “The Will Cain Show” about being back home after combat duty.

“After returning from Iraq, I look around at 10:00 and be like, ‘What am I going to do today? How about I drink some beers? How about I go have lunch and have some beers? How about I meet my one or two of my buddies and have some beers?’ And one beers [sic] leads to many, leads to self-medication, leads to ‘I’ve earned this,’ like, ‘What are you — don’t tell me I can’t,’” he’d told Cain.

“It seems to be in that Will Cain clip that he’s describing having a drinking problem,” asserted Tapper. “How do you reconcile that with him now claiming that he’s never had an issue with alcohol?”

Firing back at the host, the senator asserted, “Jake, that wasn’t him saying he had an alcohol problem; that was him being honest.”

“What he was describing is what most combat veterans have faced…And I think it’s hypocritical for [the media] to even question that. Now, if he did have a drinking problem, that would be obvious. But to make something out of it that isn’t there just because he’s going through secretary of defense, the media should be ashamed of themselves,” continued Mullin. “They should put themselves in their shoes and every other combat veterans’ shoes before they go out there and criticize him.”

Tapper appeared to endeavor to salvage his own reputation when he reacted, “So, I have done a lot of coverage of veterans and a lot of coverage of combat. And, while I have never worn the uniform, I think I do have an understanding of the need of our valiant troops when they come home to self-medicate. What I’m saying is, when you’re talking about drinking at 10 in the morning, that’s a drinking problem. Now it doesn’t mean that there should be a stigma-”

“Well, then there’s a lot of politicians that have a drinking problem, Jake,” the Oklahoma lawmaker cut in before adding, “And there’s probably a lot of media that has a drinking problem too…but there’s a lot of alcohol that flows through Washington, D.C., on a regular basis. And I wouldn’t say that people are alcoholics or they have a drinking problem because of that.”

Mullin had made clear that he himself hadn’t had a taste of alcohol in years and had recently shared a photo alongside Hegseth as the nominee met with senators that included the caption, “Decorated combat vet @PeteHegseth is the man for the job, and I’ll do everything I can to help him get confirmed as the next Secretary of Defense.”

Before rapidly shifting gears to talk discuss talks of further blanket pardons from President Joe Biden, Tapper sought to get the last word on the matter and said, “You know, a drunk reporter who’s drinking at 10 a.m. for whatever reason, is not in charge of the 3 million-person Defense Department. And, so, there’s a difference.”

However, it was social media that had the final say as Mullin was cheered for the firm position on Hegseth and all veterans while Tapper was decried for pearl-clutching.

Kevin Haggerty
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