Pete Hegseth, the nominee for Secretary of Defence by US President-elect Donald Trump, faced criticism during his Senate confirmation hearing for his lack of knowledge about the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During the four-hour session, Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, who was born in Bangkok to a Thai mother and an American father, asked Hegseth about the bloc.
Duckworth asked, “You talked about the Indo-Pacific a little bit, and I’m glad that you mention it. Can you name the importance of at least one of the nations in ASEAN, what type of agreement we have with at least one of those nations, and how many nations are in ASEAN by the way?”
Pete Hegseth doesn’t know which countries are in ASEAN when asked by Senator Tammy Duckworth.
This exemplifies how utterly unfit Pete Hegseth is to hold the office of Secretary of Defense.
Bro is inept.pic.twitter.com/OGUGz0ATxz
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) January 14, 2025
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Hegseth admitted, “I could not tell you the exact amount of nations in that, but I know we have allies in South Korea, in Japan, and in AUKUS, in Australia where we are trying to work on submarines with them.”
Interrupting his response, Duckworth pointed out, “None of those three countries that you mentioned are in ASEAN. I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of negotiations.”
ASEAN is a bloc of ten nations, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea are observer states.
Social media was quick to react. According to NDTV, Critics of Hegseth questioned his qualifications, with one user saying, “These are basic questions that anyone in DOD would know. Hegseth can’t answer ONE!” Another remarked, “This is simultaneously hilarious and terrifying.”
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Some conservative supporters defended him, arguing that ASEAN is a “purely political and economic collective of nations” and not essential knowledge for the Secretary of Defence. One user commented, “ASEAN is not a military alliance. Hegseth mentioned the military allies in the region since he’s applying for Secretary of Defense.”
This moment has sparked debate about the knowledge and preparedness required for such a high-level defence role.
