Senator Roger Wicker Gives Replies To Peters Comments During Hearing


The confirmation hearings for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, became the stage for a sharp exchange that highlighted not only the ideological divides in Washington but also the glaring condescension that can backfire spectacularly.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), evidently determined to undermine Hegseth's qualifications, launched a relentless critique of his experience—or, in Peters’ view, the lack thereof. But it was Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) who delivered a rhetorical broadside that left Peters red-faced and the room erupting in laughter.

Peters' strategy seemed clear: question Hegseth’s managerial credentials at every turn, insinuating that someone with a résumé like his couldn’t possibly run the Department of Defense, an organization that oversees the most sophisticated and complex military force in the world. With lines dripping in sarcasm, Peters took aim, asking, “How many people reported to you in those positions? … What’s the largest number of people that you’ve ever supervised?” His tone was one of open disdain, framing Hegseth as an unqualified outsider attempting to step into an arena too big for him. It was less questioning and more a public dressing-down.

Peters even stretched the metaphor to compare the Senate Armed Services Committee to a corporate board of directors vetting a CEO. “I don’t know of any corporate board of directors that would hire a CEO for a major company if they came and said, ‘Y’know, I supervised 100 people before.’” His implication was blunt: Hegseth wasn’t fit to lead the Pentagon, and to confirm him would be akin to lowering the bar for one of the most critical positions in government.

But Peters’ heavy-handed critique was met with an equally sharp retort. When Hegseth finally responded, he coolly pointed out that the endorsement of the President-elect—a leader whose career as a business magnate has been defined by building and running massive organizations—was a ringing vote of confidence.

“Senator, I’m grateful to be hired by one of the most successful CEOs in American history, should I be confirmed,” Hegseth stated with a level of composure that undercut Peters’ condescending tone.

Then came the moment that cemented the exchange in the minds of those watching. Sen. Roger Wicker, in his trademark dry wit, delivered a line that not only disarmed Peters’ critique but flipped it on its head: “Mr. Hegseth, it seems to me that you’ve supervised far more people than the average United States senator supervises.” The remark was a dagger cloaked in humor, and the room burst into laughter, leaving Peters’ argument in tatters.

What Peters seemed to underestimate is that leadership isn’t always about the size of one’s organizational chart or the length of one’s managerial résumé. Hegseth, a former Army officer and decorated combat veteran, brings battlefield experience and a deep understanding of military culture—qualities arguably more relevant to leading the Department of Defense than simply having a history of managing large bureaucracies. Wicker’s pointed observation underscored this reality: senators themselves often lack direct managerial experience, yet they wield enormous power and responsibility.

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