DeSantis Would Be a Bad Replacement at Defense

Like the rest of Trump’s national security team, DeSantis is a hawk on pretty much everything.

Trump is reportedly considering replacing Hegseth with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as his nominee for Secretary of Defense:

Senate confirmation of Hegseth, a former Fox News host, is in jeopardy amid skepticism about his qualifications for the job and allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking. Trump is looking at DeSantis, a former rival for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, as an alternative, according to the people [familiar with the matter].

Hegseth was a bad, unqualified choice all along, and his advocacy for war criminals already disqualified him. It is clear from the latest reporting that he has no business running any organization, much less the Department of Defense. His extreme hostility and bigotry toward Muslims should also make him politically radioactive, but unfortunately that barely counts as a liability in Washington. Trump should pull the nomination and start over. That doesn’t mean that DeSantis is the answer.