Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Pentagon, has come under fire during his Senate confirmation hearing.
On Tuesday, Mr. Hegseth was the first high-profile Trump nominee to go through the confirmation process, with senators questioning Mr. Hegseth’s past comments on diversity in the military, as well as allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking, including his defense secretary. put pressure on the candidates.
“Mr. Hegseth, I do not believe you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job,” Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, the committee’s ranking member, said in prepared remarks.
“The Secretary of Defense’s challenge is to rid the military of partisan politics. You propose to inject it. This would be an insult to the men and women who have sworn to uphold their apolitical obligations to the Constitution. ”
Mr. Hegseth’s service in the Army National Guard is widely seen as an asset to the job, and he has the support of Mr. Trump and the Republican Party.
But the 44-year-old has also been criticized for allegations of sexual assault, which he strongly denies, his drinking in a previous job, and his derisive views of women in combat roles, minorities and “woke” generals. are.
“It’s wrong to denigrate LGBTQ service members,” Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told Hegseth at one point. “If you’re a good marksman, you’re just as deadly no matter what your gender identity is or who you love.”
Gillibrand also read aloud some of Hegseth’s words about women in the military. “To do this job well, you need to change the way you view women, and I don’t know if you can do that,” she says.
Mr. Hegseth is one of President Trump’s most dangerous Cabinet nominees, but Republicans are determined to use him as a cause for concern for the president-elect’s governing style. Trump is scheduled to be sworn in on Monday.
“He’s going to be torn apart. He’s going to be vilified. There’s going to be talk about him,” Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville said of Hegseth at an event supporting the candidate before the hearing. “But we’re going to get him across the finish line.”
Hegseth himself tried to retract some of his controversial past statements and present himself as politically neutral.
“We’re not Republicans. We’re not Democrats. We’re American warriors. Our standards will be high, but we’ll be equal, not fair. That’s a whole different word.” He spoke to senators on Tuesday, pledging to be a “change-maker” at the department.
He also sought to emphasize his bipartisan credentials in his exchange with Sen. Gillibrand.
“Senator, I volunteered to serve in Afghanistan under Democratic President Barack Obama. I also volunteered to provide security for Joe Biden’s inauguration, but my Christian tattoos were labeled extremist by my unit. I was denied the opportunity to serve because I was certified,” he explained.
Nevertheless, Hegseth returned to several conservative “culture war” talking points during the hearing, including denouncing “woke” efforts to secure medical care for transgender soldiers.
He claimed that soldiers “want to focus on lethality and combat and remove all elements of woke political privilege, politically correct, social justice politics from the military.” .
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a member of the Armed Services Committee, described Hegseth as “a man with a history of getting drunk at work events and having to be executed multiple times.”
“Can we really count on calling Hegseth at 2 a.m. to make a life-or-death national security decision? No,” she said on social media platform X.
Mr. Hegseth can tolerate up to three vetoes from Republicans, but he can still be approved even if all Democrats and independents vote against him.
During the hearing, Mr. Hegseth came under repeated scrutiny for saying that women should not serve in combat roles in the military “once and for all,” but after a recent meeting with senators, Mr. has softened.
He also defended the military itself, calling it “one of the least racist institutions in our country,” despite concerns about discrimination.
Those questioned Tuesday included Republican Joni Ernst (Iowa) and Democrat Tammy Duckworth (Illinois), both female veterans.
“He can retract all he wants to say about women in combat, but we all know what he’s thinking, right?” Duckworth is an Iraq War veteran and pilot in the National Guard. The Black Hawk helicopter he was flying was shot down, causing him to lose both legs and part of his right arm.
“He is the most unqualified person ever nominated to be Secretary of Defense.”
Mr. Ernst appeared sympathetic to Mr. Hegseth’s nomination during the hearing, and said he had spoken at length with Mr. Hegseth’s defense nominee before a Senate committee.
She asked him to clarify: As Secretary of Defense, do you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles?
“Yes, women can serve in ground combat roles. Combat roles are also possible given that standards remain high. A review to ensure standards are not eroding in any of these cases. will take place,” Hegseth replied.
“One of the first things we will do at the Department of Defense will be to review, in a gender-neutral way, the paramount importance of standards that ensure readiness and meritocracy.”
Mr Hegseth also repeatedly denied the sexual assault allegation on Tuesday, dismissing it as an anonymous false accusation, saying: “I was falsely accused in October 2017. It was thoroughly investigated and I was completely exonerated.” ” he said.
Ms Hegseth’s lawyer suggested that an undisclosed amount was paid to the women involved as part of a confidential settlement.
The Associated Press previously reported that police in Monterey, California, where the alleged assault took place, recommended that the case be reviewed by the local district attorney’s office. However, the country’s prosecutors ultimately declined to prosecute, saying they had the ability to prove the allegations “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Cabinet nominees rarely lose a Senate vote, as they are usually withdrawn if they appear to be problematic.
The last candidate to lose was former Sen. John Tower, who was also a candidate for Secretary of Defense in 1989. Mr Tower was investigated on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol and acting inappropriately towards a woman.
