Trump’s Defense Pick Torched Over Obvious Lie on Women in Military
During Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing to serve as secretary of defense, Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called out Hegseth’s comments on women serving in the military.
Hegseth claimed during the hearing, held by the Senate Armed Services Committee, that his problem is not with women—his problem is with military standards that had been changed to accommodate women in different military units. But Gillibrand demanded that Hegseth elaborate.
“Please give me an example, I get you’re making these generalized statements,” Gillibrand said.
“Commanders meet quotas to have a certain number of female infantry officers or infantry enlisted and that disparages those women who are incredibly capable of meeting that standard,” Hegseth responded.
Gillibrand did not wait for Hegseth to finish before correcting him.
“Commanders do not have to have a quota for commanders in the infantry. That does not exist,” Gillibrand said emphatically. “It does not exist. And your statements are creating the impression that these exist, because they do not. There are not quotas.”
GILLIBRAND: Give me one example. I get you're making these generalized statements
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 14, 2025
HEGSETH: Commanders meet quotas to have a certain numbers of female infantry officers
GILLIBRAND: Commanders do not have to have a quota for commanders in the infantry. That does not exist. pic.twitter.com/Ul6KGUWt6j
Only two months ago, Hegseth spelled out his views on women serving in the military on the Shawn Ryan Show.
“I’m straight-up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn’t made us more effective. Hasn’t made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated,” Hegseth said at the time.
Only a few days later, Hegseth was nominated by Donald Trump to serve as defense secretary, and he has since tried to backtrack on that statement. Presumably, Trump did not have a problem with his views when he announced the nomination, having been a fan of Hegseth’s for many years.
Trump has stood by his choice of Hegseth, even as allegations of sexual and financial misconduct have surfaced. While Democrats are trying to make sure the public doesn’t forget about Hegseth’s troubling past, Trump and Senate Republicans seem to be behind his nomination all the way.