Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said the defense secretary made a ‘rookie mistake.’

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) painted recent remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on whether Ukraine would be welcomed into NATO a “rookie mistake.” “Hegseth is going to be a great Defense

Wicker went on to compare Hegseth’s remarks to something far-right commentator Tucker Carlson would have written. Carlson received backlash for his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin last year and has baselessly accused the Biden administration of trying to “kill” the leader.

Pete Hegseth stoked a row with his recent remarks on Ukraine, stating that the war-torn nation should let go of its aspirations to join the NATO.

According to Politico reporting, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker called Hegseth's speech on Ukraine a “rookie mistake," adding, "It is the kind of thing Tucker Carlson could have written, and Carlson is a fool.

The Republican senator who salvaged Pete Hegseth’s chances of becoming President Donald Trump’s defense secretary said he was “disturbed” by his comments about Ukraine this week. Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker said Hegseth made “a rookie mistake” when he said that Ukraine should abandon hopes of a return to its pre-2014 borders while speaking to European defense ministers in Brussels.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced criticism from Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker after suggesting that Ukraine’s return to its pre-war borders was "unrealistic." While Hegseth has since walked back some of his comments,