Katy Tur Raises ‘Slippery Slope’ Concerns About Biden DefSec Pick: Are We Getting Rid of Civilian Control of the Military?
President-elect Joe Biden choosing Ret. Gen. Lloyd Austin to be his Defense Secretary has raised concerns among some Democrats over how his nomination would require a waiver considering he’s a recently retired general.
Some hesitant Democrats have said they’re open to the idea, while others have said civilian control of the military is an important norm Biden needs to reaffirm — a waiver was similarly required for James Mattis, President Donald Trump’s first Defense Secretary.
In his announcement officially introducing Austin to the nation Wednesday, Biden said he believes in the importance of civilian control of the military, saying, “He will be bolstered by a strong and empowered civilian sector and senior officials… working to shape the policies making sure they’re accountable to the American people.”
Austin himself tried to assuage those concerns as well, but as MSNBC’s Katy Tur noted, there are still Democrats concerned about going down that “slippery slope.”
Former Senator Claire McCaskill (D) doubted the concerns would keep Austin from being confirmed, saying if so many senators were okay with a waiver for Mattis, then they shouldn’t have a problem with a waiver for Austin
Tur argued that part of the reason Mattis was approved by the Senate was because of how untested Trump was, as well as Mattis being well-respected figure, one of Trump’s better picks, and someone who could be an “adult in the room.”
“So there were people that said, ‘I’ll make the calculation to sign the waiver in this circumstance for this president.’ Does it still factor into what Biden is doing here?” Tur asked. “Biden is not Donald Trump, he is not as erratic. Are there no other people that Biden could nominate that could do as good of a job with vaccine distribution that wouldn’t need a waiver, that would be a civilian in control of the Pentagon?”
McCaskill brought up her vote for the Mattis waiver and said Austin commands a great deal of respect as well. She added that it would be “very difficult for people to vote against” the first Black nominee for the Cabinet position.
Ret. Gen. Barry McCaffrey similarly praised Austin and called him “one of the best people in national security,” saying he would serve as a contrast to “a chaotic condition going on in the Pentagon.”
Tur still raised those concerns about civilian control of the military:
“I understand he is uniquely qualified. I understand that he is a historic pick. I understand all of the points for him, but there are still people are out there who are uncomfortable with the slippery slope that we’re facing right now. Two administrations in a row, two waivers. Does this mean that we’re going to get rid of civilian control? Is that going to be a thing of the past if the person is trusted by senators and has unique qualifications?”
“There will always be a dividing line,” McCaskill said, before defending the Austin nomination again. “If you have someone who you trust to be very vigilant about the dividing line, between the active military and civilian control, and someone who does commands not just respect within the military, but on a global stage, and someone with these unique characteristics they will allow him to be such a strong leader, I think this is one of those times you come down on the side of yeah, let’s get this guy in there.”
You can watch above, via MSNBC.
