Hegseth meets with senators during Secretary of Defense confirmation hearing: Live

WASHINGTON – Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump Secretary of Defense begins a marathon of Senate confirmation hearings on Tuesday in the first public hearing on the president-elect’s most important administrative choices.

Hegseth is the main — and only — event Tuesday in which the former Fox and Friends co-host will be asked to explain a rape complaint against an 8-year-old that resulted in no charges, allegations of drinking on the job and his views on women in the military .

There will be an interrogation Trump’s influence test over Senate Republicans, who have a 53-47 majority over Democrats. Some senators question Hegseth’s ability to lead the $850 billion Defense Department.

Hegseth, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, has little experience in management positions. He described himself as a change agent who would make this happen free the Pentagon from the “woke” policy. in his opinion, they made American forces less ready to fight.

Pete Hegseth is under increasing pressure over sexual assault allegations

Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth was the target of sexual assault allegations, which he denies and was never charged.

Tuesday’s hearings are just an appetizer for a series of questions and confrontations expected on Wednesday, when six different Senate committees are scheduled to hear Trump’s proposals for positions in the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, State and Transportation, as well as the CIA and the important White House Office of Management and Budget.

Stay with the USA TODAY Network for live updates.

Reed criticized Hegseth for his statements about diversity at the Pentagon. Hegseth said that “Diversity is not our strength.”

Reed, who served in the Army in the 1970s, said the military was not stronger when women were banned from combat and the Pentagon banned gays and lesbians from serving.

“Our military is more diverse than ever before, but more importantly, it is more lethal than ever,” Reed said. “This is not a coincidence. Mr. Hegseth, I hope you will explain why you believe such diversity weakens the military and how you propose to “roll it back” without undermining military leadership and harming readiness, recruitment and retention.”

Reed noted that he has supported nine previous candidates for defense secretary, but says he cannot vote for Hegseth.

Outlining a litany of allegations against Hegseth, including that he mismanaged two nonprofit veterans’ organizations, Reed concludes his statement: “Unfortunately, you lack the character and composure to serve as Secretary of Defense.”

−Tom Vanden Brook

Top Democrat Registers Opposition to Pete Hegseth

Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat, makes his opposition to Hegseth clear in his opening statement, before the former TV host was asked a single question.

Reed listed the challenges facing the Pentagon: confronting China and Russia, dealing with the turmoil in the Middle East, the threat of violent extremism. Reed said the next defense secretary will need experience, wisdom and character.

“Mr. Hegseth, I do not believe you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job,” Reed said.

Reed then questioned alleged incidents of sexual assault and harassment, alcohol abuse, mismanagement of veterans nonprofits he led, criticism of women in combat and support for soldiers convicted of war crimes.

“I have reviewed many of these allegations and find them extremely disturbing,” Reed said.

−Tom Vanden Brook

Wicker praises Hegseth as an unconventional but “excellent” pick

In his opening remarks, Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, called Hegseth “an excellent choice” because of, not in spite of, his unconventional background.

He compared Hegseth’s inexperience to Trump, “that New York real estate developer who came down an escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president.”

“I am confident that Mr. Hegseth, supported by a team of experienced senior officials, will accomplish his task,” he said.

Wicker described Hegseth as the right candidate to shake up a Pentagon “no longer prepared for great power competition” at an uncertain moment in the world.

On Hegseth’s past, Wicker said Hegseth “admitted failure, as we all do from time to time.”

“It is worth noting that the vast majority of accusations against Mr. Hegseth come from anonymous sources,” he said.

−Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Representative Anna Paulina Luna is providing frontline support

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida took a front-row seat. As a “veteran and also a member of Congress,” Luna said, “I’m here today to show support for Pete Hegseth.”

“They said he was an alcoholic or implied he was a womanizer and all this craziness that he was a white nationalist,” she said. “I would obviously not support any of these statements and I have reviewed these allegations, they are categorically false.”

When asked about Hegseth’s comments about women in combat, Paulina Luna replied that she agreed that women should be banned from serving in some such roles. “I think if you have a mixed team, it can compromise the value of that mission,” she said.

−Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Hegseth enters the hearing room with his family members to applause and chants of “USA!” The chanting quickly fades away.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, opens the hearing with a moment of silence for the victims fires in southern California and a letter of thanks to Sen. Jack Reed, D-Ill., ranking member and former chairman.

He asks the audience to remain silent and avoid disturbances.

The Senate is preparing to question Hegseth

On Tuesday morning, the brightly lit Senate hearing room was bustling with activity as senators prepared for Hegseth’s public hearing.

Committee and media staff streamed past velvet barriers separating the audience from the semicircle of senators’ desks.

A row of Hegseth supporters wearing matching baseball caps and red pins reading “Vets for Hegseth” filled the row.

Two protesters with the anti-war group Code Pink held signs out front, one reading “No Hegseth, no Christian jihad,” before a guard ordered them not to hold signs above their heads.

−Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Senators on the Armed Services Committee want Hegseth to answer how he would manage the military’s $850 billion budget and 2 million troops. Hegseth’s approach to ongoing conflicts is also unresolved in Ukraine AND Middle East and growing tensions with China.

Hegseth,A The 44-year-old former host and Fox News veteranmay face difficult questions about him personal life and pastincluding him she reported a history of heavy drinkinghis treatment of women ia he was charged with sexual assault eight years ago. Hegseth denies drinking alcohol at work and says the disputed sexual contact in 2017 was consensual.

Senators also point to Hegseth’s previous comments opposing women in combat roleswhich he returned on foot in the run-up to the trial. Hegseth, a cultural critic of the military, accused the Pentagon of relaxing personnel and training standards and adopting a so-called “woke” ideology.

Hegseth needs a majority – 51 votes – for Senate confirmation. With Republicans in the majority, he would be confirmed if all Republicans voted for him.

However, the Republican majority is slim, leaving Hegseth room to lose just three Republican votes. Some Republican senators said they needed to see more before they could vote for him.

They include three senators – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska Joni Ernst from Iowa. For Ernst, a veteran survivor of sexual assault, Hegseth’s past comments and story hold personal significance.

Since Hegseth’s nomination in November: a dark allegation of sexual assault filed in 2017, he persisted in trying to win over senators.

That same year, an employee of the California Federation of Republican Women filed a police report after she alleged he attacked her during a hotel conference. No charges were brought.

Hegseth later paid the woman An undisclosed amount has been set to cover a potential civil lawsuit, according to his lawyer, Timothy Parlatore. The settlement included a confidentiality clause prohibiting her from talking about the incident.

Hegseth said he was “nervous” but was not drunk at the time and that the encounter was consensual. However, over the past few months, Parlatore told news sources that Hegseth was “obviously intoxicated” and the woman was the “aggressor.”

Hegseth’s hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, January 14, at 9:30 a.m.