Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for US secretary of defense, defended his record in a contentious Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, acknowledging he was “not a perfect person” as Democratic lawmakers grilled the military veteran and Fox News host on allegations of sexual assault, excessive alcohol use and financial mismanagement.
Hegseth can only afford to lose the votes of three Senate Republicans, assuming every Democratic senator opposes his nomination, but none appeared ready to break ranks despite some having previously voiced concerns about Hegseth’s personal history and his views on women in the military.
Hegseth pushed back against the criticism as he answered senators’ questions, dismissing the controversies as a “coordinated smear campaign orchestrated in the media,” and pitched himself as a “change agent” who would lead the Pentagon into a new era.
“From story after story in the media, leftwing media, we saw anonymous source after anonymous source based on second- or third-hand accounts,” Hegseth said. “I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real, and God forged me in ways that I know I’m prepared for, and I’m honored by the people standing and sitting behind me and look forward to leading this Pentagon on behalf of the war fighters.”
Republicans on the Senate armed services committee rushed to Hegseth’s defense, lobbing softball questions and echoing his concerns about anonymous sources attacking his character. Describing Hegseth as an “unconventional” nominee, Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the committee, praised him as an “excellent choice to improve this unacceptable status quo”.
“Mr Hegseth has admitted to falling short, as we all do from time to time,” Wicker said. “It is noteworthy that the vast majority of the accusations leveled at Mr Hegseth have come from anonymous sources. Contrast these anonymous accusations with the many public letters of support and commendation.”
But Democratic members of the committee hammered Hegseth on the numerous accusations against him, including a claim of sexual assault. In 2017, Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman who said he took her cellphone and blocked the door of a hotel room to prevent her from leaving, according to a police report. Hegseth has denied the accusation, although his lawyer acknowledged that the woman was paid a settlement.
An explosive report from the New Yorker also outlined claims that Hegseth frequently became so intoxicated at work events as to require colleagues’ assistance in getting home. One whistleblower further accused Hegseth of using official funds for the non-profit that he previously led, Concerned Veterans for America, as a “personal expense account”.
Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate armed services committee, told Hegseth that he lacked “the character and composure and competence” to lead the country’s largest government agency.
“Mr Hegseth, I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job,” Reed said at the hearing. “Indeed, the totality of your own writings and alleged conduct would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the secretary of defense.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a background check on Hegseth, but Reed bemoaned the report as “insufficient”, arguing that the bureau failed to speak to crucial witnesses. Reed requested that Wicker make the report available to all members of the committee, but Wicker said he would follow recent precedent by restricting the report’s access to the chair and the ranking member.
Multiple Democrats on the committee, including Tim Kaine of Virginia, reminded Hegseth that the allegations against him extended beyond anonymous accounts. His mother, Penelope Hegseth, once described him as “an abuser of women”, a characterization she has since rejected.
“You claim that this was all anonymous. We have seen records with names attached to all of these, including the name of your own mother,” Kaine said. “So don’t make this into some anonymous press thing. We have seen multiple names of colleagues consistently throughout your career that have talked about your abusive actions.”
Other Democrats grilled Hegseth on his previous comments suggesting that women should not serve in combat roles and attacking the inclusion of gay troops in the military as part of a “Marxist agenda”.
“Please explain these types of statements because they’re brutal and they’re mean and they disrespect men and women who are willing to die for this country,” Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat of New York, said.
Hegseth attempted to soften his earlier comments, telling Joni Ernst, a Republican of Iowa and one of the female veterans on the committee, that women would have access to ground combat roles “given the standards remain high” to qualify for such roles.
Unconvinced by Hegseth’s assurances, Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat of Illinois and another female veteran, framed his nomination as an insult to “women who’ve earned their place in their units”. Duckworth, who received the Purple Heart after losing her legs in an attack on her helicopter in 2004, quoted the Soldier’s Creed as she excoriated Hegseth’s nomination as “a no-go at this station”.
“How can we ask these warriors to train and perform at the absolute highest standards when you are asking us to lower the standards to make you the secretary of defense, simply because you are buddies with our president-elect?” Duckworth asked Hegseth. “You have not earned your place as secretary of defense.”
While Democrats expressed serious concerns about Hegseth’s leadership, several Republicans on the committee filled their allotted time with irrelevant questions like what he loved about his wife and how many push-ups he could do.
Underscoring the tension surrounding Hegseth’s nomination, protesters repeatedly interrupted his opening statement, with one attacking the nominee as a “Christian Zionist” who supports the war in Gaza. Authorities swiftly escorted the protesters out of the hearing room.
Despite the numerous controversies sparked by Hegseth’s nomination, Trump’s Republican allies in the Senate have voiced confidence about his chances of confirmation. During the hearing, Ernst, who has not yet publicly committed to supporting Hegseth, lauded the “many productive conversations” she has had with him in recent weeks. The Republican John Thune, the Senate majority leader, has reportedly told Trump that Hegseth will have the votes to be confirmed.
“The meetings have gone very well. Things are heading in the right direction,” John Barrasso, the Senate majority whip, told CBS News on Sunday. “People will listen and make their own decision.”
Several of Trump’s other cabinet nominees will appear at Senate confirmation hearings in the coming days, before the president-elect takes the oath of office on Monday.
