Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing Begins: Trump’s Cabinet Picks Live Updates

On By Littum

Erik Schmitt

Nearly two hours into his Senate hearing, Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, has vigorously defended himself on a number of contentious issues, including a sexual assault allegation, his lack of leadership experience and his comments against women who serves service. in battle.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Hegseth expressed his disdain for the Pentagon’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs, saying “our standards will be high, and they will be equal — not fair.”

Instead, Mr. Hegseth, a combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, himself the “warrior” he has accused the left of attacking. He said he would “return to the Pentagon for warfighting” and “restore the warrior ethos back to the Pentagon.”

Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, gave Mr. Hegseth the opportunity to clarify his many previous public comments about women not belonging in combat in the military. Mr. Hegseth said that when he said that, he meant standards, adding that: “What is true is that the weight of the ruck on your back does not change.”

“Whether it’s a man or a woman,” he said, “they have to set the same high standards.”

Mr. Hegseth has not directly addressed an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017 or has a history of excessive alcohol consumption. Instead, he has vehemently blamed the media for circulating claims from anonymous sources that he says are false. He previously denied the charge of assault, which did not lead to charges.

Republicans and Democrats have so far followed party lines for Mr. Trump’s election.

In his opening remarks, Sen. Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi and the chairman of the committee, spoke of the failures of previous civilian leaders of the Pentagon, saying that Mr. Hegseth’s military experience and “unconventional” background “may be what makes Mr. Hegseth an excellent choice.”

Mr. Hegseth doesn’t fit the mold of most former defense secretaries — former generals, CEOs and lawmakers — and said that was an asset. “As President Trump also told me, we’ve repeatedly placed people at the top of the Pentagon with supposedly the right credentials, whether they’re retired generals, academics or heads of defense contractors. And where has that gotten us?”

Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Panel, told Mr. Hegseth in his opening remarks that he was unqualified to lead the Pentagon.

“Absolutely, the totality of your own writings and alleged conduct would disqualify any service member from holding a leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as secretary of defense,” Mr. Reed.

Senator Reed said that Mr. Hegseth is woefully short on management experience, noting that two small nonprofit veterans groups he ran ended up in debt. “I don’t know how he’s going to lead an organization with an $857 billion budget and 3 million individuals,” he said.

The packed hearing room on Capitol Hill was disrupted three times early by vandalism opposing Mr. Hegseth. Capitol police quickly got the shouting protesters out.