As we wrote about him in 2022 [emphasis added]:
"Joe Walsh is a washed-up Illinois politician and a chameleon. He's gone from being a liberal Republican to a hardcore Tea Partier and ardent Trump supporter, to becoming so fiercely anti-Trump that in addition to voting for Joe Biden in 2020, Walsh even announced, as our Tim Graham has noted, that he would vote for a "socialist" over Trump.
"Walsh lasted just one term in Congress. And his 2020 'campaign' for the GOP presidential nomination didn't even last half as long as Kamala Harris' fleeting, failed effort on the Dem side.
"So why does CNN regularly invite this loudmouth non-entity onto its air? Because he can be counted on to trash Republicans."
In that 2022 CNN appearance, Walsh smeared Republicans at large, saying: "Most Republican voters . . . want their political opponents destroyed or killed."
Walsh, vulgar piece of work that he is, was back earning his keep with the liberal media with an appearance Saturday on MSNBC's The Weekend. Discussing the Hegseth nomination, Walsh said that what's attractive to Trump about Hegseth is that he's a "pretty face." Continued Walsh:
"Trump doesn't give a shit that Pete Hegseth has a history of treating women like shit. Because that's what Donald Trump has done. Trump doen't care that he's an abuser and a harasser of women, because that's what Trump has been."
Rather than expressing any disapproval of Walsh's crudeness, co-host Michael Steele—another guy who's made a second career as a Republican who will reliably trash the GOP—expressed his agreement, uttering, "right." Introducing Walsh at the top of the segment, Steele went out of his way to call him, "my buddy." You know what Aesop said, Michael.
Prior to unleashing Walsh, the show aired an advance clip from Trump's Meet The Press interview with host Kristen Welker, in which Trump said "every time I talk to him, all he wants to talk about is the military." Steele gratuitously branded Trump's comment a "lie." How would he know?
Note: The Meet The Press clip was interesting in a number of ways. At least in the portion of the interview aired, Welker's questions about the Hegseth nomination were straightforward and not overtly hostile. And Trump's responses were measured. Yes, he still had confidence in Hegseth. But no, he has not received assurances from senators that Hegseth would be confirmed. And rather than expressing any particular support for Hegseth, Trump said that "we'll be working on his nomination, along with a lot of others."
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
The Weekend
12/7/24
6:02 am ETMICHAEL STEELE: The former Illinois congressman and 2020 presidential candidate,and my buddy, Joe Walsh, also joins us here at the table.
ALICIA MENENDEZ: Gooe morning to you both. You know, nothing says Saturday morning quite like a clip, an advance clip of Meet the Press. So let's watch this exchange. It's a back-and-forth clip between our colleague, Kristen Walker, and Donald Trump. Take a look.
DONALD TRUMP: Looks like Pete is doing well now. I mean, people were a little bit concerned. He's a young guy with a tremendous track record. Actually went to Princeton and went to Harvard. He was a good student at both. But he loves the military and I think people are starting to see it. So, we'll be working on his nomination along with a lot of others.
KRISTEN WELKER: Since you bring him up, do you still have confidence in Pete Hegseth?
TRUMP: Yes I do. I really do. He's a very smart guy. I've known him through Fox, but I've known him a long time. And he's basically a military guy. I mean, every time I talk to him, all he wants to talk about is the military. He's a military guy.
WELKER: Have you got assurances from senators that he's going to be confirmed?
TRUMP: No, no.
WELKER: Do you think he can make it?
TRUMP: I think he will, yeah. I've had a lot of senators call me up saying he's fantastic.
WELKER: You don't drink yourself.
TRUMP: No.
WELKER: You've talked about how devastating drinking can be.
TRUMP: Yeah.
WELKER: How concerned are you that the person who you picked for this top job at the Defense Department, at least according to those who've worked with him, have struggled with drinking.
TRUMP: But I've spoken to people that know him very well, and they say he does not have a drinking problem.
STEELE: So, so Joe, "he's a military guy." You know, it's He's a military guy. "Every time we meet and talk, we talk about military stuff." [Laughter ]
JOE WALSH: Bull.
STEELE: That's all, that's all a lie. You know, Donald Trump doesn't even really know anything about this guy, besides what he sees on Fox News. That's the attractive point for him.
JOE WALSH: Besides the fact that he's a pretty face.
Let's cut to the chase because it is Saturday morning. Trump doesn't give a shit that Pete Hegseth has a history of treating women like shit.
STEELE: Right.
WALSH: Because that's what Donald Trump has done. Trump doen't care that he's an abuser and a harasser of women, because that's what Trump has been.
So it's the drinking, I think, that Donald Trump has always considered to be a weakness. But, we were talking earlier, Michael. I don't think Trump wants to take another hit. He lost Gaetz.
STEELE: I don't think his ego wants him to take another, lose another cabinet pick.
