FILE – President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies during the Senate military confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Pete Hegseth was furious during his Senate confirmation hearing and struggled when asked certain questions.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth questioned President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Mr. Heges, about her ability to lead international negotiations, naming one member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and asking how I asked him to explain what kind of agreement it was. The United States worked with countries, and how many countries were in the bloc?
Hegseth was unable to correctly answer Duckworth’s question.
What is ASEAN?
Back story:
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a bloc consisting of 10 countries established in 1967, and the United States has a top-level “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” with ASEAN. The meetings will be attended by defense officials, diplomats and world leaders, according to the Associated Press.
ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. An 11th country, Timor-Leste, is expected to join soon.
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ASEAN’s objective is to foster regional economic and security cooperation by leveraging its combined population of more than 650 million people and GDP of more than $3 trillion.
According to the Associated Press, ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei are embroiled in a maritime dispute with China over their claims to independence in the South China Sea, one of the world’s most important maritime routes.
How does ASEAN relate to the US Secretary of Defense?
The United States is a treaty partner with ASEAN members Thailand and the Philippines, and has sought to gain regional influence in ASEAN as it counters Chinese influence.
ASEAN also holds top-level meetings every year, with the Defense Council usually attended by the US Secretary of Defense and the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting attended by the US Secretary of State.
According to the Associated Press, these meetings will conclude with an annual summit attended by sitting US presidents.
What they say:
In response to a question from Senator Tammy Duckworth during a heated Senate confirmation hearing, Pete Hegseth said that while he could not give an exact number of ASEAN countries, “AUKUS (Australia to Australia Agreement)… “We know that we have allies in South Korea and Japan,” he said. Britain and the United States) along with Australia,” the Associated Press reported.
“None of these three countries are in ASEAN,” replied Mr. Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois. “I recommend doing a little homework.”
