‘JAG-off’ Day: Democrats Beclown Themselves At Hegseth Hearing

Because there are very few pressing matters facing the nation, the House recently passed a congressional time capsule bill to mark next year’s 250th anniversary of the United States. Said capsule would be buried on the west lawn of the Capitol, remaining sealed until July 4, 2276, the 500th birthday of the good old US of A. 

The offices of the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, and the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders will determine the contents, according to Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a New Jersey Democrat and author of the bill. 

“They will include items that represent important legislation or institutional milestones of Congress, a message from this Congress to the future Congress, and other items that reflect our history at the time of its burial in 2026,” she said in a press release.

Here’s something you can shove into your time capsule, Bonnie: “JAG-off” Day with the Armed Services Committee.

There were so many inane to insane moments at Tuesday’s Senate Armed Services Committee’s confirmation hearing for Trump Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth. But ranking member Sen. Jack Reed’s JAG line of questioning may have taken the clown show cake. 

‘The Soul of the Modern Democratic Party’

As expected, the Rhode Island Democrat and his fellow left-wingers on the committee turned the four-hour hearing into a bloviating, grandstanding performance to try to derail President-elect Trump’s pick for DOD chief. It failed. But the Democrats’ talking points, dutifully echoed by the accomplice media, declared that Hegseth, pledging to restore a “warrior culture” at a DEI-riddled Department of Defense, is not qualified for the position. Beyond pumping out a long line of debunked salacious allegations against Hegseth, committee Democrats pounded at the nominee’s past frankness about politics in the military. 

“The totality of your own writings and alleged conduct would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the secretary of defense,” Reed postured during his opening remarks. 

What got the committee’s top-ranking Democrat so verklempt about Hegseth’s choice of words. In part, it’s that the former Fox News host  in his book, American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free, wrote what many Americans believe.

“Modern leftists who represent the soul of the modern Democratic Party literally hate the foundational ideas of America,” Hegseth wrote. It’s hard to disagree with that assessment after years of critical race theory, “antiracism,” the 1619 Project, and other leftist dogma teaching that the United States of America is a systemically racist nation ruled by white supremacist oppressors. 

‘The Men and Women Watching Understand’

Reed also doesn’t care for Hegseth’s criticism of Judge Advocate General officers, the military’s lawyers. 

“You have made statements to your platoon after being briefed by a JAG officer,” the senator said to Hegseth during questioning before pausing. “By the way, would you explain what a ‘JAG-off’ is?” 

“I don’t think I need to, sir,” Hegseth said. 

“Why not?” Reed asked incredulously. 

“Because the men and women watching understand,” the nominee answered. 

The Washington Post will tell you JAG-off is a “crass term.” It’s definitely an insult, a take on “jagoff,” generally an annoying dude who may or may not be an idiot. A jerk, according to Dictionary.com. Not surprisingly, plenty of service members, like civilians, aren’t keen on lawyers. 

“Well, perhaps some of my colleagues don’t understand,” Reed pushed. 

Known as a straight shooter in Army circles, Hegseth broke it down for the grandstanding Democrat. 

“It would be a JAG officer who puts his or her own priorities in front of the war fighters. Their promotions, their medals in front of having the backs of those that are making the tough calls on the front lines,” he said. 

Jagoffs on Parade

Of course there are lots of jagoffs inside and outside the military. Congress is filled with jagoffs, more than a few in attendance at Tuesday’s confirmation hearing. Corporate media outlets that cover congress are crawling with jagoffs. Democrats on the Armed Services Committee gave us a jagoff show for the ages, led by a ranking member who has been in congress since C+C Music Factory was topping the Billboard Charts and insisting that “everybody dance now.”  

The moment perfectly encapsulated what the Democrat Party is in 2025, a year before America’s 250th birthday: Out of touch, out of power, out of their heads. A bunch of jagoffs. 

Put that in the congressional time capsule and bury it.  

Matt Kittle is a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist. An award-winning investigative reporter and 30-year veteran of print, broadcast, and online journalism, Kittle previously served as the executive director of Empower Wisconsin.