Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary criticized after struggling to name ASEAN countries
Pete Hegseth, who was chosen by incoming US President Donald Trump to serve as his administration's defense secretary, was criticized after he appeared to not know about the countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, Hegseth was asked by Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth several questions regarding the ASEAN, such as what countries are part of the union, how many nations are there, and what type of agreement the US has with at least one of the members.
Hegseth answered, "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 (a pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.), in Australia where we are trying to work on submarines with them."
Duckworth, a Thai-American, criticized his reply, stressing that "none of those three countries are in ASEAN."
"I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of negotiations," Duckworth told the television presenter.
The Democrats in the US House Foreign Affairs Committee expressed a similar opinion, saying, "A serious nominee for secretary of defence should know our Indo-Pacific partners."
ASEAN is comprised of 10 states in Southeast Asia, namely, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The countries formed the association in order to "accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region" and "to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter."
According to AP News, Hegseth was posed with the question about ASEAN in preparation for his role as defense secretary as the US is a treaty partner with two of its members, Thailand and the Philippines.
Specifically, the US has a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines wherein both countries are committed to working together if either is attacked in the Pacific. The agreement was signed on August 30, 1951.
ASEAN holds its Summit meetings annually to discuss matters of economy, politics, security, and socio-cultural development of Southeast Asian countries. These gatherings are regularly attended by the active US president, while the US defense secretary makes an appearance at the union's defense meetings.
Hegseth is a former Fox News host who has faced controversy, including sexual assault allegations in 2017 and accusations of excessive drinking and financial mismanagement while leading veterans' organizations.
A known critic of diversity and inclusion efforts in the military, he previously advocated against women serving in combat roles.
Meanwhile, Trump is set to take office Trump after his presidential inauguration on January 20. He reclaimed the highest position in the US government from outgoing president Joe Biden when he secured the 270 electoral votes he needed to beat his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris.
