Dems blast Trump’s pick for military personnel policy as too combative

Senate Democrats on Tuesday voiced continued concerns over President Donald Trump‘s pick to lead personnel policies at the Pentagon, casting him as a partisan firebrand who will undermine cohesion in the ranks.

But Anthony Tata — who is likely to be confirmed to the senior military post despite the concerns — offered a partial apology for past attacks on Democratic lawmakers during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, and promised to focus on issues like recruiting and retention in his next role.

“I regret making those comments,” Tata said. “I can guarantee you that if confirmed, I will be an apolitical leader that is trying to take care of the men and women in uniform, their families and the Defense Department’s civilians.”

Earlier this year, the president nominated him to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, overseeing a host of issues regarding force readiness, quality of life programs and military pay.

In 2020, Tata was forced to withdraw his nomination for the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy post because of inflammatory comments he made on social media and television shows.

They included labeling former President Barack Obama as a “terrorist leader” and a secret Muslim believer, as well as numerous anti-Islamic comments. He also suggested that Democratic lawmakers and federal workers were engaging in conspiracies to undermine and kill Trump, and stated that former CIA Director John Brennan deserved to be executed.

Democrats on the committee expressed surprise that Tata was renominated by Trump this year, given those past controversies.

“I respect and appreciate your military service, but your record of public statements and behavior toward individuals with whom you disagree politically is disqualifying for a position of this significance,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., ranking member of the committee.

“If confirmed, you would need to serve all members of the Department of Defense and their families, not just those whom you agree with politically. Your public record and past performance at the Pentagon do not inspire confidence in this regard.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., echoed those same concerns.

“You seem to think that if a general or admiral was promoted during a Democratic administration, that person should be automatically fired,” she said. “That’s just a political purge.”

But Republicans on the committee characterized Tata’s past comments as little more than typically political rhetoric, accusing Democrats of engaging in similar hyperbole in the past.

They praised Tata as the right person for the leadership post at a time when the Trump administration is pushing major reforms throughout the military bureaucracy.

Tata said if confirmed, a primary focus will be on recruiting and retention within the ranks. He said part of the solution will be new programs to expose high school students to the idea of serving in the military, appealing to both the job benefits and patriotic motivations.

He also promised his office will align personnel policies “with national security imperatives on increasing lethality and the warrior ethos.”

A committee vote on Tata’s nomination is expected later this month. Republicans’ majority in the Senate means that he can be confirmed into the role without any Democratic support.

Several Democratic committee members have vowed to delay or complicate the Trump administration’s senior Pentagon nominations over concerns about department staff cuts and programming reassignments, but they likely will not be able to halt the confirmations without support from their GOP colleagues.