Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth: “I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles”
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From the November 10, 2024, edition of the Shawn Ryan Show
PETE HEGSETH: I'm okay with the idea that you maintain the standards where they are for everybody. And if there's some, you know, hard charging female that meets that standard, great.
Cool. Join the infantry battalion. But that is not what's happened.
SHAWN RYAN: Yeah.
HEGSETH: What has happened is the standards have lowered because they -- the general comes by and asks a question.
You know what questions are when generals ask questions. They're just a command. Lieutenant or captain or major, why aren't there more women in your unit? That means get some more women in your unit now.
…
I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.
It hasn't made us more effective, hasn't made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated. Most of them actually are -- a lot of them are pushed. I shouldn't say most, but many are pushed into a combat track because they're so highly capable.