1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

I have grave concern about Pete Hegseth's nomination for Secretary of Defense and urge you to vote against his confirmation. Mr. Hegseth's own writings demonstrate he is unfit to lead our military. In his 2020 book "American Crusade," he explicitly contemplates using the military in domestic political conflicts, writing that following a Democratic election victory, "The military and police...will be forced to make a choice" and "Yes, there will be some form of civil war." This represents a dangerous rejection of civilian control of the military and our constitutional order. They will use the military to block democratic POTUS elects?! They’ll come for Congress too don’t think they won’t!? This is not a partisan issue. Senators from both parties have historically come together to block nominees who threaten our democratic institutions. Mr. Hegseth's call to "mock, humiliate, intimidate, and crush our leftist opponents" and characterization of political opponents as "internal enemies" is incompatible with the role of Defense Secretary, who must serve all Americans regardless of political affiliation. I urge you to work across the aisle to prevent this nomination from moving forward. The stability of our military and preservation of civilian control transcends party lines. I request your public opposition to this nomination and a written response detailing your position and intended actions.