‘Total baloney’: Don Bacon rejects Trump team’s defense of Pete Hegseth

WASHINGTON, DC: Republican Representative Don Bacon escalated his feud with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday, December 5, declaring that the Pentagon chief had "ruined his credibility."

Bacon, a retiring lawmaker from Nebraska, told Politico that he had lost faith in Hegseth following a series of controversies involving classified information and military decision-making.

"I’ve been on the record already," Bacon said. "After Signalgate, I think I’ve seen enough. What I really wanted to see was someone take responsibility  -  own up to a mistake."

Don Bacon slams Pete Hegseth’s defense in scandal fallout

The congressman specifically took issue with Hegseth's reaction to the scandals, accusing him of deflecting blame rather than owning up to errors.

"And then when he blamed the media or the, you know, the journalist for the story, it just  -  it ruined his credibility," Bacon added.

Bacon’s comments follow a watchdog report released earlier this week that found Hegseth allegedly violated department policy.

The report concluded that the Defense Secretary allegedly endangered troops by using his personal cell phone to send classified information about a pending strike on Houthi targets via the encrypted app Signal.

Bacon dismissed the Trump administration’s claim that the report exonerated Hegseth, calling that defense "total baloney."

"A leader stands up, says, 'I screwed up. I take responsibility. I learned my lesson. I won’t do it again,'" Bacon told CNN on Thursday.

"This troubles me more [than] the actual misdeed, because it really undercuts his credibility as a leader."

Controversy over Caribbean strikes continues

Hegseth is also facing intense scrutiny regarding a second strike on a boat allegedly carrying n******** to the US.

Reports surfaced that survivors were seen clinging to the vessel before a follow-up strike killed them.

Hegseth has pushed back on claims that he ordered military leaders to "kill everybody," claiming that he was not in the room when the specific "double tap" order was given.

While much of the operational blame has been shifted to Navy Admiral Frank Bradley, Bacon remains skeptical of Hegseth's leadership style.

Don Bacon blasts war on media

The Nebraska Republican also lashed out against the Pentagon’s new restrictions on the press, viewing it as another example of Hegseth avoiding accountability.

Bacon criticized the decision to restrict access for major outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post while allowing "second-rate journalists" to operate out of the Pentagon.

He also revealed that military bases in congressional districts have been ordered not to speak to lawmakers without prior Pentagon vetting.

"We have military bases in our districts, they’re not allowed to talk to us because of, you know, his orders," Bacon lamented.

Despite the internal GOP criticism, the Defense Department has continued launching strikes on "n****-t********s" in the Caribbean, with the White House maintaining that congressional approval is not required for the campaign.