Democrats skewer Hegseth as Republicans downplay his abhorrent behavior
Democrats hammered defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, slamming the Fox News host for his sexist views on women in combat, his alleged sexual impropriety, his alleged drinking on the job, and his bad managerial skills that led to his exit from two veterans charities.
Their tough questioning came as Republicans handled Hegseth with kid gloves, protecting him from accountability by limiting questions from senators and by allowing an exceedingly incomplete FBI report to stand as sufficient for his confirmation.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia asked some of the toughest questions of Hegseth during Tuesday’s hearing.
Kaine questioned Hegseth about his alleged infidelity, accusation of sexual assault, allegations from colleagues that Hegseth drank on the job, and the fact that Hegseth withheld information about these accusations from Donald Trump's team during the interview process for the role.
When Kaine asked Hegseth whether it's disqualifying to show up drunk at work, Hegseth didn't answer and instead falsely claimed those reports came from anonymous sources. In fact, one of the people who accused Hegseth of workplace impropriety was Jessie Jane Duff, a Marine veteran and former Trump campaign official who in 2016 sought to get Hegseth removed as head of the Concerned Veterans of America group, CBS News reported.
When Hegseth told Kaine he is "an open book," Kaine scoffed, noting that Hegseth's accusers are under "multiple nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements" that are "tying the hands of many people who would like to comment to us."
Kaine also brought up that Hegseth has defied oaths he's taken in the past, including to be faithful to his wives—of which Hegseth has had three.
"You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife. I am shocked that you would stand here and say you're completely cleared. Can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child that had been born two months before? And you tell us you were completely cleared?" Kaine said.
Kaine refused to accept Hegseth's excuse that the allegations against him shouldn't be believed because they were made anonymously, saying that among the people who made the allegations against Hegseth was his own mother.
“You claimed that this was all anonymous. We have seen records with names attached to all of these, including the name of your own mother. So don’t make this into some anonymous press thing,” Kaine said, basically accusing Hegseth of lying.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona built on that line of questioning, saying Hegseth’s excuses about his drinking and sexual misconduct do not add up
"Which is it—have you overcome personal issues, or are you the target of a smear campaign? It can't be both. It's clear to me that you're not being honest with us or the American people because you know the truth would disqualify you from getting the job,” Kelly said. “And just as concerning as each of these specific disqualifying accusations are, what concerns me just as much is the idea of having a secretary of defense who is not transparent.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a military veteran who lost both of her legs in combat in Iraq, quizzed Hegseth on basic information about the military, and Hegseth could not answer.
Duckworth asked him to name one member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the relationship the United States has with them. Hegseth couldn’t answer.
"I suggest you do a little homework," Duckworth told Hegseth, later adding “You’re not qualified, Mr. Hegseth.”
Sen. Gary Peters, Democrat of Michigan, brought up the fact that Hegseth has no experience managing massive organizations like the Pentagon, and that confirming him would be akin to lowering the standards for the Department of Defense that Hegseth has railed against.
"You talk about standards, you talk … that we have a problem of standards in the DOD, and that we have to raise standards for the men and women who serve. Do you think that the way to raise the minimum standards of the people who serve us is to lower the standards for the secretary of defense, that we have someone who has never managed an organization more than 100 people?" Peters said.
Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren brought up Hegseth's past misogynistic comments. In particular, on a Nov. 7 podcast, he said, “I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.” However, since being nominated by Trump, he has had a magical change in point of view, saying that women are qualified for combat.
“What extraordinary event happened in that 32-day period that made you change the core values you had expressed for the preceding 12 years?” Warren said.
But none of Hegseth’s past comments or behavior seemed to concern the Republicans on the panel, who asked softball questions and even defended Hegseth’s vile conduct.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma went as far as saying that because some members of the Senate drink before casting votes or have cheated on wives, that it’s okay that Hegseth has done the same.
"Sen. Kaine—or I guess I better use ‘the senator from Virginia’—starts bringing up the fact that 'What if you showed up drunk to your job?' How many senators have shown up drunk to vote at night? Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from your job?” Mullin said. “And then how many senators you know have gotten a divorce for cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down? No."
The problem with Mullin’s logic is obvious: Just because some senators have allegedly acted that way doesn’t render Hegseth’s alleged actions meaningless. Additionally, those lawmakers weren’t nominated to be secretary of defense.
Ultimately, Democrats laid bare how unqualified Hegseth is to lead the Pentagon.
But Republicans are set to confirm Hegseth anyway, kowtowing to Trump’s demand that they all roll over and accept his deeply unprepared and corrupt nominees.
Godspeed to the Pentagon with this clown at the helm.