Video: Illinois Sen.-Elect Juliana Stratton Tells CNN 'I Won't Vote for Any of Donald Trump's Nominees,' Including a New Defense Secretary
A 1 minute 47 second clip posted by Breitbart with a transcript. Asked what it would take to confirm a new defense secretary, Stratton said nothing would, and called Trump 'the most corrupt President in history.'
Breitbart posted a clip of Illinois Sen.-elect Juliana Stratton, a Democrat, on CNN's "News Central" on Thursday. We relied on Breitbart's transcript, not the video.
The question. Co-host John Berman noted that Trump gave only a lukewarm endorsement to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, so a new nominee could come after January. He asked what it would take for her to vote yes on someone Trump picks for the job.
The answer. Stratton said Hegseth "should never have been nominated" and that she cannot "imagine anyone that Donald Trump would nominate would be competent for the role." She added, "I won't vote for any of Donald Trump's nominees, and I've made that very clear."
The follow-up. Berman asked, "Period. Full stop. No matter what?" Stratton said no, and called the administration led by "a President who is not concerned about what's in the best interest of the American people." She called Trump "the most corrupt President in history" and said the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate should be used to push back and "set the agenda about what the American people deserve."
Why it matters here. Democrats will run the Senate next year, so a blanket no from a new senator shows how little room some of them see for working with the White House on nominees. It is one senator-elect's stance, not a caucus position.
What we could not check. We did not watch the video, so we cannot judge tone or what came before or after. We did not verify her claims about Trump or Hegseth. The Hegseth endorsement description is Berman's. Breitbart's page did not show a response from the White House.