‘That’s A Drinking Problem!’ CNN’s Jake Tapper Pushes Back On Senator’s Defense of Trump Pick Hegseth

CNN’s Jake Tapper went head-to-head with Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R) over whether past issues with alcohol should disqualify Pete Hegseth from becoming secretary of defense.

On Sunday’s edition of CNN’s State of the Union, Tapper told Mullin, “A number of your fellow Republican senators have publicly expressed concern about Hegseth’s…reputation for excessive alcohol drinking.”

Tapper played tape of Hegseth telling SiriuxXM’s Megyn Kelly that he’s never had a drinking problem.

“Just a few years ago, however, on the Will Cain show, this is how Hegseth described his experience with alcohol after returning from Iraq,” Tapper said.

After returning from Iraq I look around at 10:00, I’d be like, what am I going to do today? How about I drink some beers? How about I go have lunch and have some beers? How about I meet one or two of my buddies and have some beers? And one beers leads to many, leads to self-medication, leads to, “I’ve earned this. Like, what are you — don’t tell me I can’t.”

It seems to be in that Will Cain clip that he’s describing having a drinking problem,” Tapper said. “How do you reconcile that now
claiming that he’s never had an issue with alcohol?”

“Jake, that wasn’t him saying he had an alcohol problem; that was him being honest,” Mullin said. He continued:

What he was describing is what most combat veterans have faced…And I think it’s hypocritical for them to even question that now, if he did have a drinking problem, that would be obvious. But to make something out of it that isn’t there just because he’s going through secretary of defense, the media should be ashamed of themselves. They should put themselves in their shoes and every other combat veterans shoes before they go out there and criticize him.

Tapper pushed back.

“So, I have done a lot of coverage of veterans and a lot of coverage of combat. And, while I have never worn the uniform, I think I do have an understanding of the need of our valiant troops when they come home to self-medicate. What I’m saying is, when you’re talking about drinking at 10 in the morning, that’s a drinking problem. Now it doesn’t mean that there should be a stigma
— ”

MULLIN: Well, then there’s a lot of politicians that have a drinking problem, Jake.

TAPPER: Yes, of course, but I guess my question is —

MULLIN: And there’s probably a lot of media that has a drinking problem too…but there’s a lot of  alcohol that flows through Washington, D.C., on a regular basis. And I wouldn’t say that people are alcoholics or they have a drinking problem because of that.

Tapper responded, “You know, a drunk reporter who’s drinking at 10 a.m. for whatever reason, is not in charge of three million-person defense department. And, so, there is a difference.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.