No Guts, No Balls Pete Hegseth
Elissa Slotkin shows Democrats how to neuter MAGA
I've known Elissa Slotkin for years. I watched her career develop from narrow victories in her MAGA-leaning House district outside Detroit to a solid win for the Senate in 2024. And I know this about the former CIA and Pentagon analyst: She doesn’t suffer fools.
Enter Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
During a contentious Senate Armed Service Committee meeting Wednesday, the freshman Democrat grilled Hegseth over whether he had authorized members of the military to "detain and arrest protesters" in Los Angeles. He ducked and deflected. She erupted.
"What is the order?" Slotkin demanded. "Be a man, list it out. Did you authorize them to detain or arrest? That is a fundamental of democracy. I'm not trying to be a snot here. I'm just trying to get the actual — did you authorize them to do that?"
Be a man, she said. But Hegseth didn’t have it in him.
Instead of giving her a “yes” or “no” answer, Hegseth tried to mansplain Slotkin about why Trump deployed U.S. troops to an American city over the objections of the local leadership: He said that the 4,700 United States Marine Corps and National Guard troops deployed amid immigration protests in Los Angeles are "there to protect law enforcement, officers who are trying to do their job."
Slotkin called bullshit and asked a different question.
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"Have you given the order for (troops) to be able to shoot at unarmed protesters in any way?" she asked Hegseth, who seemed to laugh at her question.
"What is that based on? What evidence would you have that an order like that has ever been given?" Hegseth asked, walking into Slotkin’s trap.
In 2020, she replied, Trump asked advisers whether U.S. troops could shoot civil rights protesters "in the legs" amid unrest following the murder of George Floyd. One of those advisors, then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper, helped talk Trump out of that outrageous idea and then wrote about it in a book.
"He had more guts and balls than you,” Slotkin said, questioning Hegseth’s manhood a second time, “because he said, ‘I'm not going to send in the uniform military to do something that I know and my gut isn't right.’”
Her implication: Hegseth would never say no to Trump. He doesn’t have the balls.
I wish more Democrats would do their homework like Slotkin did to walk MAGA leaders into logic traps, questioning not just their rationale but their manhood. While this strategy might seem shallow or even crass, it’s a direct assault on one of the founding principles of MAGA-ism: the belief that America isn’t “alfa” enough.
Male and female leaders in the MAGA movement pose with guns, curse like sailors, and bully marginalized people — because that’s what they think makes them alfa. Be tough, they’re told by their consultants. Be firm, they’re told by their voters. Be a winner, they’re told by their president.
Slotkin called Hegseth out. She made him look weak, a loser in their alpha fight. You got no guts or balls, sir.
Elissa Slotkin is a true warrior and patriot! The problem is that those who need to see her In action won't. It was suggested sometime ago (Timothy Snyder?) that Democrats form a "shadow cabinet"-made up of a few Democrats who could be spokespeople and expose the damage being done by the Trump regime. Elissa Slotkin would be the perfect "shadow Defense Secretary". Their take-downs could become public service announcements exposing MAGA cabinet members as ball-less "yes men"-which might open some eyes and minds!
Elissa Slotkin is an amazing leader. Respect.