‘Could Have Been a Woman!’ MS NOW’s Lawrence O’Donnell Fumes Over Pete Hegseth Saying ‘We Leave No Man Behind’

MS NOW host Lawrence O’Donnell ripped Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his “old school” mentality after Hegseth declared “we leave no man behind.”

O’Donnell implied the expression was sexist because it failed to acknowledge it could have been a female soldier rescued last weekend in Iran.

The host criticized Hegseth for it on his show on Tuesday night, playing a brief clip of Hegseth using the phrase at a White House press conference while discussing the daring operation to save a second Air Force crew member who had been shot down in Iran.

“That is, of course, the old school version of the idea, back when only men flew American military planes,” O’Donnell said.

He then played a clip of General Dan “Raizin” Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from the same press conference. Caine opted for the phrase, “We leave no one behind.”

O’Donnell said that showed Caine was more in-touch with modern sensibilities.

“The general knows, unlike Pete Hegseth, that that could have been a woman they were trying to rescue — and it might be a woman the next time,” O’Donnell said.

About 22% of the U.S. Air Force is female, according to data from 2024. It is a similar 4:1 male-to-female ratio in other branches of the military as well.

He then added, “but this 21st Century notion that we leave no one behind ignores the 120,000 prisoners of war held by German and Japanese forces in World War II for years who were left behind.”

O’Donnell’s language policing came two days after President Donald Trump proclaimed “WE GOT HIM!” early last Sunday, two days after the two airmen were shot down behind enemy lines. One was rescued in short order, while the second was rescued later after hiding in the mountains of Iran while hundreds of special forces hurried to get to the troop before the Iranians could capture him.

Watch above via MS NOW.

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