Senator Calls Out Colleagues For Showing Up To Work Drunk To Cast Votes: “Don’t Tell Me You Haven’t Seen It”

Is anybody really surprised? I interned in the United States Senate back in college, and overall it was a pretty miserable experience. The people there suck, the city sucks, the work sucks...realized pretty quickly that it wasn't for me. But another thing I realized is just how much alcohol is flowing around the Capitol as major decisions are made for our country. From happy hours or receptions after work to cracking a bottle of wine during a late night in the office or having a few drinks at lunch, it seems the only way for people to make it through the day in DC is with the help of some booze. And honestly, the work sucks so bad that I don't blame them, but at the same time, you would hope that the people making these decisions that are going to affect the lives of everybody in the country would be sober and have a clear mind as they're working, right? Well that's unfortunately not how it works. And one Senator just called out his colleagues to their faces. The Senate Committee on Armed Services is currently holding a confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, who has been nominated by incoming President Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of Defense. Hegseth is a former Fox News host, serving as the host of Fox & Friends Weekend since 2017, and is also a decorated Army veteran, having earned a bronze star for his service in Iraq. After leaving the military, Hegseth served as executive director for veterans' advocacy group Concerned Veterans for America before leaving in 2016. His nomination hasn't been without controversy, after anonymous sources told NBC that Hegseth's colleagues at Fox News were worried about his drinking, and that he had at times shown up to work smelling of alcohol. Hegseth has, of course, denied the allegations, with the Trump transition team defending the incoming president's pick as a respected combat veteran who has served his country proudly: "These disgusting allegations are completely unfounded and false, and anyone peddling these defamatory lies to score political cheap shots is sickening. As a decorated combat veteran, Pete has never done anything to jeopardize that, and he is treating his nomination as the most important deployment of his life." And today, Hegseth is facing questions from Senators surrounding the reports of his drinking on the job, including one from Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, who sounded drunk herself as she asked whether Hegseth would keep his recent promise to stop drinking altogether if confirmed as the Pentagon chief: https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/1879207039341322261 But one Senator apparently thought his colleagues were being hypocritical about drinking - and called them out for showing up to work drunk themselves. Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma blasted his fellow senators for their attacks on Hegseth, saying that they have all seen others show up drunk to cast votes late at night: "'What if you showed up drunk to your job?' How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night? Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from their job? And don't tell me you haven't seen it because I know you have. And then how many senators do you know have gotten a divorce for cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down? No. But it's for show. You guys make sure you make a big show and point out the hypocrisy because the man's made a mistake. And you wanna sit there and say he's not qualified? Give me a break. It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourselves as this higher standard and you forget you got a big plank in your eye." https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879225972488032392 Anyone wanna guess which senators he's talking about? If I had to guess, chances are you'll be right no matter who you name.