Pete Hegseth, Trump’s defense nominee, faces a key test

By LISA MASCARO, TARA COPP and MATT BROWN Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Donald Trump election as secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, vowed Tuesday to support a “warrior culture” at the Pentagon, portraying himself as a “change agent” during a sensitive Senate hearing confirmation hearing which attracted protesters, but also veterans, to support.

Hegesth did not initially comment on this issue allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking or its mockery views on women in combat and minoritieswhile senators determine whether the veteran and news show host is fit to lead US military. Instead, he focused on his combat experience in the Army National Guard.

“It’s time to give the reins to someone with dust on their boots. Agent of change,” Hegseth said in his introductory remarks.

“It’s not academic,” he said, wearing an American flag pocket square on his jacket. “This is my life.”

When asked directly about the sexual assault allegation, Hegseth dismissed it as a “smear campaign” and an unfair attack. However, he did not specifically address any of the allegations or tell senators that he did not drink or have sexual intercourse with women.

The senators immediately took action digging into issues related to Hegseth, with the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee affirming the “unconventional” pick and the top Democrat warning of the “extremely alarming” allegations against him.

Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., compared Hegseth to Trump himself, dismissed the various allegations against him as baseless and said he would “bring energy and fresh ideas to shake up the bureaucracy.”

But Sen. Jack Reed, D-I. he said flatly, “I don’t think you’re qualified to handle the overwhelming demands of this job.”

Hegseth, 44, comes from a new generation of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his military experience is widely seen as an advantage. But it also brings a shocking record past actions and statementsincluding women, minorities and they “woke up” the generals. He promised he wouldn’t do it drink alcohol if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon.

Trump supported his choice, stating in a morning post that Hegseth had “my full and total support.”

The hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee begins with, among others, week marathon as senators begin to scrutinize Trump’s picks for a dozen top administration positions.

Hegseth is among the Trumps most at risk Cabinet electionsbut GOP allies are determined to make it a celebration of Trump’s approach to governing amid the country’s culture wars. External groups, including those affiliated with Heritage Foundationthey run expensive campaigns to support Hegseth’s bid.

The audience included groups of men wearing clothes expressing support for veterans or military service, but also protesters who temporarily disrupted the proceedings but were removed from the hall.

The Republican-led Senate is rushing to confirm some of Trump’s picks as early as Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, despite potential opposition from some on both sides of the aisle. With a slim GOP majority, they need almost all Republicans to support Trump’s election if Democrats oppose.

Hegseth faces perhaps the most difficult road to confirmation. He was forced to confront allegations of sexual assault, which he denied, and his own comments that deviated from the military mainstream.

Pressed on his opposition to military diversity initiatives and women in combat roles, Hegseth agreed that the military “was a forerunner for bold racial integration.” But he argued that contemporary diversity and inclusion policies are “dividing” the current military and not prioritizing “meritocracy.”

Hegseth had to answer for his comments that women should not “right away” be in combat roles in the military, a comment he softened after recent meetings with senators.

In one exchange, Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told Hegseth, “You’re going to have to change the way you view women if they want to do this job.”

Gillibrand commented on Hegseth’s remarks: “They are brutal, mean and disrespectful to the men and women” who fight for this country.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.M., speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the confirmation of Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be defense secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Hegseth was hostile at times and sneered when Reed asked him to explain what a “jagoff” was. Only after further pressure from Reed did Hegseth say he was a military lawyer, a JAG officer who “presented his own priorities to the soldiers.”

Many senators have not yet met with Hegseth, and most do not have access to his FBI background check because only committee leaders have been briefed on the findings. Reed said Hegseth’s background check was “insufficient.” According to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss the matter, no new information was investigated or provided beyond what had already appeared about him in the public sphere.

In many ways, Hegseth’s hearing followed a template set during Trump’s first term, when one of his Supreme Court nominees was Brett Kavanaughcame under intense scrutiny following sexual assault allegations, but turned the tables on critics and recovered to win confirmation before the Supreme Court.

“It will be torn apart. He will be humiliated. He will be talked about,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said at an event attended by former Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces and Marines who supported the candidate. “But we will get him to the finish line.”

Hegseth was largely unknown on Capitol Hill when Trump hired him for the top Pentagon job.

Co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Fox News Channel; has been with the network since 2014 and has clearly caught the attention of the president-elect, who is an avid consumer of television, especially news channels.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Hegseth attended Princeton University and served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. However, he lacks senior military and national security experience.

In 2017 the woman told police that Hegseth had sexually assaulted her– according to a detailed investigation report that was recently made public. Hegseth denied any wrongdoing and told police at the time that the meeting at a California Republican Party women’s event was consensual. He later paid the woman confidential agreement to avoid a potential lawsuit.

If confirmed, Hegseth will assume military duties while dealing with a series of international crises and domestic challenges in recruiting, retaining troops and ongoing funding.

In addition to serving as the president’s key national security adviser, the defense secretary oversees a massive organization with nearly 2.1 million troops, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of about $850 billion.

The secretary is responsible for tens of thousands of U.S. troops deployed overseas and at sea, including in combat zones where they face attack, such as in Syria and Iraq and in the waters around Yemen. The Secretary makes all final recommendations to the President regarding what units will be deployed, where they will go, and how long they will stay.

The secretary’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the U.S. military is ready, trained, and equipped to meet any call to duty. But the Secretary must also ensure that American soldiers are safe in their own country, have adequate housing, health care, pay, and support for programs that address suicide, sexual assault, and financial fraud.

Pentagon chiefs regularly travel around the world, meeting with international leaders on a wide range of security issues, including U.S. military assistance, counterterrorism support, troop presence and global coalition building. They also play a key role in NATO as a key partner to allies across the region.

Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

Originally published: January 14, 2025 at 5:57 am CST