During his confirmation hearing, Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee couldn’t name a single member of the Southeast Asian bloc.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, was questioned about ASEAN during a heated Senate confirmation and struggled with his response.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth put Pete Hegseth’s foreign policy chops to the test during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday as President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon. The Illinois

"This is basic, 101 stuff for someone who wants to be secretary of defense, and he couldn't answer any of them."

Sen. Tammy Duckworth put Pete Hegseth’s foreign policy chops to the test during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday as President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon. The Illinois Democrat asked Hegseth to name one country in ASEAN,

Donald Trump’s controversial nominee could soon be confirmed by Republicans to lead the Department of Defense.

In a heated Senate confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, Sen. Tammy Duckworth grilled the proposed defense secretary over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, asking him if he could name one member and how many countries were in the bloc.

The Quad Congressional caucus highlights the importance of enhancing cooperation between member nations to secure an open and free Indo-Pacific region. Foreign ministers from Japan, Australia, and India attended a key meeting in the United States,

Tammy Duckworth, grilling President-elect Donald ... but that "I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan in AUKUS (a pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) with Australia."

Hegseth responded at the heated Senate confirmation hearing that he couldn’t tell Duckworth the exact number of ASEAN nations, but that “I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan in AUKUS (a pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) with Australia.”

The Quad Congressional caucus on Wednesday applauded the meeting of foreign ministers from the member countries here, and said that strengthening Quad cooperation is crucial to maintaining a rules-based international order and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Trump hates US trade deficits, loves US tariffs and is mostly indifferent, if not hostile, toward multilateral arrangements including ASEAN.