During a conversation with ‘No Lie With BTC’ host Brian Taylor Cohen, Rice described Hegseth in unflattering terms.
Susan Rice, a former national security advisor under President Barack Obama, was candid about her thoughts on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as rumors swirl about his future in the Trump administration.
According to The Hill, during a conversation with “No Lie With BTC” host Brian Taylor Cohen, Rice did not hold back when discussing the fallout from the so-called Signalgate controversy, describing Hegseth in unflattering terms.
“So, if you are a white male Christian cisgender macho MAGA man, you can be as dumb as a rock and still be considered qualified to serve as Secretary of Defense. Rice told Cohen, “That is apparently what we have learned from this episode.”
Rice went on to contrast the Trump administration’s emphasis on combating diversity, equity, and inclusion with her assessment of Hegseth’s qualifications.
“DEI has been used as a slur to suggest that anyone who is a woman, person of color, religious minority, has a disability, is a veteran of Native descent, or has benefited in any way, shape, or form from the notion that we all should be treated equally and viewed on the basis of our merits should be discounted because we happen to be a woman or a person of color.”
Rice stated that anyone who does not fit the mold of a white Christian cisgender male is considered inferior in this administration.
According to The Intercept, Rice was a member of the Defense Policy Board until Hegseth purportedly removed board members after a 45-day review on April 24, but the timing suggests that Hegseth removed those members after an outcry from right-wing influencers on social media began.
In an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, Hegseth’s fired aide, Dan Caldwell, stated that the board currently included people who Caldwell believed were “incredibly hostile” to Donald Trump’s agenda.
Caldwell specifically named Rice as a source of leaks within Hegseth’s Department of Defense, which he had previously been blamed for.
“She (Rice) and a bunch of other people who are incredibly hostile to the president and his worldview remain on the Defense Policy Board,” Carlson was telling Caldwell. “I would just say, if you want to look where leaks are maybe coming from, that would be a place to start.”
Sean Parnell, Pentagon spokesperson, implied in a statement that the changes reflect the Trump administration’s values and direction.
“Secretary Hegseth appreciates the members’ efforts on behalf of the department and the United States of America, but changes are needed to support the new strategic direction and policy priorities of the department and to ensure departmental resources are used efficiently,” Parnell told the committee.
