Hegseth Emerges From Committee Hearing Unscathed

Defense secretary hopeful Pete Hegseth pushed back on what he called a "coordinated smear campaign" against his nomination during a combative Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, saying it was time for someone with "dust on his boots" to serve as Pentagon chief.

The former Fox News host and Army National Guard officer faced a barrage of opposition from Democrats—including baseless questions about whether he ever beat his wives—as well as disruptions from Chinese Communist Party-tied protesters during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

Off to a strong start: Protester interrupts Pete Hegseth's opening statement, saying, "You are a Christian Zionist!" pic.twitter.com/rlk5QlDXZo

— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) January 14, 2025

Hegseth framed himself as a much-needed agent of change, emphasizing his combat experience and deployments in the war on terror, and noting that prior defense secretaries often came from the upper ranks of the Pentagon, politics, and the defense industry.

"I've led troops in combat. I've been on patrol for days. I've pulled the trigger downrange, heard bullets whiz by, flex-cuffed insurgents, called in close air support, led medevacs, dodged IEDs, pulled out dead bodies, and knelt before a battlefield cross," said Hegseth in his opening statement.

"This is not academic for me. This is my life. I led then, and I will lead now."

While Hegseth faced strong opposition from committee Democrats—who accused him of excessive drinking, financial mismanagement, and creating a sexist work environment during his prior leadership roles at veterans groups—Republicans signaled that he would have enough support to secure the nomination.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa), a veteran who was seen as a potential Republican vote against Hegseth, appeared satisfied after she questioned Hegseth about whether he would support women serving in combat roles.

"Women will have access to ground combat roles given the standards remain high," said Hegseth.

The hearing turned deeply personal at times, with Sen. Tim Kaine (D., Va.) pressing the thrice-married Hegseth about his marital infidelity, asking him directly if he ever beat his wives, and suggesting that anybody who broke a marital vow is unfit to lead the Pentagon. While Hegseth previously admitted to infidelity, there is no evidence of physical abuse.

"You cheated on the mother of that child less than two months after that daughter was born, didn't you?" asked Kaine.

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R., N.D.) objected to Kaine’s questioning, telling Hegseth that he was "sorry" that he had to "sit there and answer hypothetical, in somebody's imagination, crimes that may take place at some point."

"Unfair, unfair. I'm embarrassed for this behavior," said Cramer. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.) took a different approach, addressing Kaine's line of questioning by arguing that senators are known to cheat on their spouses and take votes under the influence of alcohol.

"It's for show. You guys make sure you make a big show," Mullin said as Kaine shook his head. "It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourself to this higher standard and you forget you've got a big plank in your eye."

Democrats reportedly strategized about using Hegseth’s FBI background report against him, but that report, which they received earlier this week, didn’t appear to give them much ammunition. Sen. Jack Reed (D., R.I.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, complained during the hearing that the FBI review was "insufficient."

The committee's Republican aides told the Washington Free Beacon they were happy with how Hegseth handled himself in the face of highly personal attacks. They expressed confidence he would be confirmed and said the committee will likely vote to send his nomination to the Senate floor next week.

Reed later accused Hegseth of trying to "politicize the military" by opposing diversity initiatives. He also said that Hegseth, who had advocated for some soldiers accused of battlefield crimes, was "instrumental in securing pardons" for U.S. soldiers convicted of war crimes.

Hegseth said he wasn’t "disavowing the laws of war or the Geneva Conventions" but was opposed to "restrictive rules of engagement."

Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D., N.Y.) also slammed Hegseth for his statements critical of women serving in combat, calling the comments "harmful to morale, harmful to good order and discipline."

Hegseth said he respects "every single female service member that has put on the uniform" but is opposed to "instances where I've seen standards lowered" for women to serve in combat.

The hearing was disrupted at several points by anti-Israel protesters affiliated with Code Pink, a left-wing activist group with close ties to Beijing, who called Hegseth a "Christian Zionist." Responding to the hecklers, Hegseth said he was a "Christian, and I robustly support the state of Israel" and is in favor of "Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas."

Sen. Cotton: Do you support Israel's war in Gaza?

Pete Hegseth: "I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas." pic.twitter.com/WLEWCVkhh8

— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) January 14, 2025

Hegseth is one of the most contentious of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees. Democrats have railed against his nomination, citing a slew of negative and anonymously sourced media reports that accused him of drinking excessively and financial mismanagement in his prior roles at Fox News and as CEO of the Concerned Veterans for America.

The Washington Free Beacon reported last week that one of Hegseth’s former employees, who left his organization after receiving a poor performance review, has been working with Senate Democrats to help recruit negative testimony about Hegseth.

Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Roger Wicker (R., Miss.) said it was "noteworthy that the vast majority of the accusations leveled at Mr. Hegseth have come from anonymous sources."

"Contrast these anonymous accusations with the many public letters of support and commendation, we have seen letters from people who served with Mr. Hegseth," said Wicker. "These patriotic Americans have been willing to put their names and reputations on the line to support Mr. Hegseth."

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