Hegseth grilled on background, allegations during confirmation hearing

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for the office of secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday. Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., asked the hearing’s attendees to refrain from outbursts while senators examined Hegseth and his background. He did so after applause and chants of “U-S-A” briefly broke out as Hegseth entered the hearing room with his family.

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Wicker acknowledged that, like Trump himself, Hegseth was an unconventional pick for secretary of defense. The chairman also noted that Hegseth, if confirmed, would face the difficult task of developing the U.S. military’s capacity to confront China. But Hegseth would be able to accomplish that task, Wicker said. The chairman largely dismissed allegations of personal misconduct leveled against Hegseth, saying many other Americans had vouched for his character.

Committee Ranking Member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., disagreed with Wicker’s assessment. He said he did not believe Hegseth possessed the experience, skill, or character necessary to lead the United States’ nearly 3 million-person military. Reed highlighted allegations of flaws in Hegseth’s character and incidents of personal misconduct. He also critiqued remarks Hegseth made saying that women should not serve in combat roles. The ranking member went on to accuse Hegseth of supporting war criminals in his book and expressing opposition to following internationally recognized laws of war, such as the Geneva Convention.

What did Hegseth have to say at the hearing? Hegseth, sporting an American flag pocket square and a forearm tattoo that peeked out from under one sleeve, said his priority as secretary of defense would be developing the Pentagon’s lethal capabilities and warrior mentality. The United States could no longer rely on its reputation as a superpower to deter military aggression worldwide, it had to develop military capabilities to do so, Hegseth said. It was also time that the United States had a secretary of defense with on-the-ground, battlefield experience, he added.

Hegseth stumbled over his seven kids’ names when listing them out during his opening statement before the committee. He apologized and quipped that there were a lot of them. Several outbursts disrupted Hegseth’s opening comments—those included pro-Palestinian protesters trying to call attention to the conflict in Gaza and protesters criticizing Hegseth over his alleged personal scandals.

What sort of questions did Hegseth face? Chairman Wicker asked Hegseth about the allegations of personal misconduct and allegations of sexual assault. Hegseth dismissed the allegations against him as a coordinated media campaign, laden with lies, intended to smear him. It was a media campaign similar to the intentional smearing campaign directed against Trump, Hegseth said. Hegseth insisted that numerous people would be willing to testify that he respected others and behaved professionally in his interactions. He admitted that he was not a perfect person and said that he was saved by the grace of God.

Ranking Member Reed grilled Hegseth about what he described as his support for service members accused of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., discussed with Hegseth how he would streamline the Pentagon’s process for turning potential military capabilities into real combat systems. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., grilled Hegseth about his views on women serving in the military. Hegseth clarified that his opposition to putting women in combat roles was based on concerns that it caused standards to slip. So long as service members are able to meet high standards, Hegseth said he supported women serving in combat roles. Other senators grilled Hegseth about deficiencies they saw in his background and work experience.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about how Trump has expressed his solidarity with Hegseth amid media criticisms of his nomination.