Warren Has A Temper Tantrum At Senate Hearing After Not Getting Her Way

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren used a hearing on President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense to promote herself.

Mark Esper was being questioned, or badgered, by the Democrat presidential candidate when she began to grandstand, and then have a tantrum.

“Will you commit not to work for or get paid by any defense contractor for at least four years after your government service?” she asked.

Esper, who is a former lobbyist for defense contractor Raytheon, said “No, senator, I will not,” which brought Sen. Warren’s ire.

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“The American people deserve to know that you’re making decisions in our country’s best security interests, not in your own financial interests,” she said.

“You can’t make those commitments to this committee. That means you should not be confirmed as Secretary of Defense,” she said.

The committee chairman decided that her harassment of the nominee meant that Esper deserved time to respond, and respond he did.

“At the age of 18 I went to West Point, and I swore an oath to defend this Constitution, and I embraced a motto called duty and honor and country.

“And I’ve lived my life in accordance with those values ever since then. I went to war for this country. I served overseas for this country,” the nominee said.

“I’ve stepped down from jobs that paid me well more than what I was working anywhere else. And each time it was to serve the public good and to serve the young men and women of our armed services,” he said.

“So, no, I disagree — I think the presumption is that anybody that comes from the business or the corporate world is corrupt,” he said.

That is when Sen. Warren was told that she had gone beyond the time allotted to her to question the nominee and she had a tantrum.

“Okay, so I’m asking the question. No, this is not right, Mr. Chairman. He does not — I didn’t ask a question at the end,” she said.

“I have not gone over. He has gone over. And he is not willing to make a commitment that he will not engage in conflicts of interest with that company for which he was a lobbyist,” she said. “This is outrageous.”

Florida Republican Rick Scott called Sen. Warren on her grandstanding when it was his time to question the nominee.

“I’m very disappointed that Sen. Warren would demonize you after you decades of service simply because you served in the private sector,” he said.

“There’s a lot of us who have been in the private sector and that doesn’t take anything away from our ability to do our job. I guess she just needed a moment for her presidential campaign,” he said.