During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) questioned former Lieutenant General John D. Caine, the nominee to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about bipartisanship within the military.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you, Senator.
00:01You can answer that question verbally, Senator Kaine.
00:05I noticed you nodded.
00:07I mean, General Kaine, you nodded your head.
00:10Yes, sir.
00:11I wasn't sure exactly what the question was, but I agree with you, Senator.
00:16Thank you, Senator Cotton, and thank you, General.
00:19Senator Blumenthal.
00:22Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:25Thank you, General Kaine, for visiting my office.
00:28For your service and your family's to our nation, you have a record that is exemplary and lengthy.
00:38You served in the Air Force, the Air National Guard, and within the intelligence community with extraordinary distinction.
00:46This position is not one that you sought, is it?
00:50No, sir.
00:51Or ever expected?
00:53No, sir.
00:55The reason is, quite simply, that the President of the United States decided to fire the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
01:07for political and personal reasons, and I must say that I find that abhorrent.
01:17And I know that you are not going to comment in those terms on the treatment of your potential predecessor,
01:31but would you agree with me that politicization of the military is something that should be avoided at all costs?
01:40Yes, sir.
01:41The nation and the Constitution all require a nonpartisan military.
01:48And would you agree with me that this apparent myth, because you've credibly denied it,
01:54that you wore a MAGA hat is extremely regrettable and unfortunate?
02:00Sir, I just know that I have always upheld my oath of office
02:04and don't believe the President said I was wearing a MAGA hat from what I've listened to the tapes.
02:13You don't believe he ever said it, but it has been attributed to him.
02:18Sir, I think maybe he was talking about somebody else when I went and listened to the tapes.
02:23Let me ask you, because of your extraordinary service, General,
02:27and I can't imagine anyone better qualified to answer this question,
02:31if you heard that a mission of the kind that was discussed on an unsecure platform signal
02:45and you were in one of those planes about to launch on that mission against the Hooties,
02:52knowing what you do about the substance of that conversation, how would you feel?
02:58Well, Senator, I stand by what I said before.
03:01I think we all can agree that we need to always protect the element of surprise.
03:06And that element of surprise was very likely lost if there had been any intercept
03:14by one of our enemies or adversaries that could be conveyed to the Hooties, correct?
03:20I mean, Senator, that's a little bit of a hypothetical question,
03:24but I am thankful, as always, that we protect our servicemen and women who are going into combat operations.
03:33But there are a lot of pilots and other military men and women
03:39who are understandably angry about that call, correct?
03:45Sir, I've not had anybody come to me and tell me that they're angry about it.
03:51So I can't comment on that.
03:55Have you read reports about that reaction to the call?
03:59I have not, Senator, no.
04:03Would you agree that that kind of reliance on signal for that kind of conversation should be avoided in the future?
04:12Senator, I just know that I have always used the right system for the right kinds of communications.
04:20I don't know in particular what information was classified in what way on that signal chat.
04:29I know that we must preserve the element of surprise.
04:33That platform is not a hardened and secure platform.
04:39That platform is encrypted but not secure, I believe, in the definition of the term secure.
04:48Let me ask you quickly on another topic.
04:52Would you agree that the Columbia class program is the Navy's,
05:00should continue to be an acquisition priority along with the Virginia class?
05:07Senator, I do think Columbia needs to continue forward at a pace and tempo equal to the threat.
05:16My time has expired. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.