Senator who criticized Hegseth's qualifications defends Defense Secretary who led flawed Afghanistan withdrawal.

A Democrat senator admitted that he would support Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's confirmation again if the vote was held today, despite Austin's controversial actions and grilling of Trump's SecDef nominee Pete Hegseth over his qualifications earlier in the day.

On Tuesday, Planet Chronicle Digital asked Blumenthal, "If there were a vote on Lloyd Austin today, would you vote for him?"

"Blumenthal stated that he would support General Austin as Secretary of Defense, as he did when he was nominated. However, he would not support the current nominee, Hegseth, because he lacks the necessary financial management skills, character, confidence, and moral compass."

In the hearing, Blumenthal stated to Hegseth, "I don't believe you are qualified to lead the committee or the American people. I would support you as the Pentagon spokesperson. While I acknowledge your communication skills, I believe we deserve the facts."

Austin has faced criticism from both conservatives and some Democrats for his handling of the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as other perceived missteps during his time in office, including an incident where he had to personally apologize to President Biden for not informing him of his hospitalization.

""We need a DECISIVE leader who can focus the Department of Defense on its mission of protecting America. We need Pete Hegseth," GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X on Tuesday."

In 2023, Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., an Army veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, unsuccessfully handed Austin articles of impeachment, accusing him of a "25,000-plus recruitment shortage" and stating that there were "8,400 people who were unconstitutionally purged from the military." Mills also criticized the focus on pronouns and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) in military academies, arguing that the military should be prioritizing the next threat and how to mitigate it.

"Mills stated that he believed Austin should have resigned and that he perceived this as a breach of duty. He then recounted what he saw as Austin's failures during the Afghanistan withdrawal, including prioritizing political optics over military strategy. Mills criticized Austin for taking over HKIA, the commercial airspace, and abandoning thousands of Americans."

Conservatives on social media resurfaced an old controversy from 2010 when Blumenthal was running for Senate, where he claimed to have served in Vietnam despite not having done so. Blumenthal, who received several draft deferments before serving in the Marine Corps Reserve, ultimately admitted that he had "misspoken" about his record but described those instances as few and far between.

On Tuesday, Katie Pavlich, a Planet Chronicle contributor, posted that it is difficult to accept Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal's criticism of combat vet Pete Hegseth, given that Blumenthal had previously lied about serving in Vietnam to win an election.

Planet Chronicle contributor Guy Benson posted that Sen. Blumenthal lied about fighting in a war he did not for his entire adult life.

In a statement to Planet Chronicle Digital, Senator Blumenthal argued that Tuesday's hearing was focused on Hegseth's record rather than his character.

"The people of Connecticut have consistently elected me to the United States Senate due to my clear record of military service. However, this hearing focused on Pete Hegseth's alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement, which revealed his unqualification and unpreparedness to command 3.4 million Americans who safeguard our nation's security."

Planet Chronicle' Michael Lee contributed reporting.