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Here's How Pete Hegseth Performed During His Senate Confirmation Hearing

Jeff Charles
Jeff Charles  |  January 14, 2025 1:45 PM

Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth endured a grueling round of questioning during his Senate confirmation hearing as he worked to convince lawmakers that he is a good fit for the job of Defense Secretary.

Hegseth entered the chamber earlier on Tuesday to a round of applause from audience members and Republican senators. The proceedings were not without drama, however.

When Hegseth began giving his opening remarks, he was interrupted several times by hecklers, one of which referred to him as a “misogynist” and a “Christian Zionist.” These individuals were promptly removed from the premises.

Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) started the questioning and brought up the elephant in the room: The accusations of sexual assault, alcoholism, and mishandling of finances that cropped up shortly after President-elect Donald Trump announced Hegseth’s nomination.

Hegseth replied by giving a response he would have to repeat several times throughout the proceedings: They are false anonymous allegations. “What became very evident to us from the beginning, there was a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated in the media against us,” he said, also asserting that the campaign was aimed at harming the president-elect.

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Democratic senators focused on Hegseth's comments about women serving in combat roles. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), in particular, used this as their primary line of attack during questioning.

In a 2024 appearance on the “Shawn Ryan Show,” Hegseth argued that the military “should not have women in combat roles” and that doing so “made fighting more complicated.”

Shaheen asked about the comments. Hegseth replied by saying women have made “amazing contributions across all aspects of our battlefield” and clarified that women should not be allowed to serve in a combat capacity if they are unable to meet the higher standards for soldiers.

For her part, Gillibrand used the moment to put on a bizarre piece of political theater, referring to Hegseth’s comments are “hurtful” and “mean” while slamming the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” policy, which has nothing to do with the nominee.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) also stood out, accusing Hegseth of getting drunk at work and saying he would have shot protesters and would also support a military invasion of Greenland and Panama. Naturally, she provided no evidence to back up these claims, but apparently, that does not matter to folks like her.

Much of the proceedings focused on Hegseth’s views on DEI practices in the military, which he opposes. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) claimed today’s DEI policies are the same as the anti-discrimination policies that were implemented earlier in America’s history.

Hegseth pushed back, saying they are “not the same as what happened back then.”

They're dividing troops inside formations, causing commanders to walk on eggshells, not putting meritocracy first. That's the indictment that's made by those serving right now and why we're having this conversation.

In a particularly nasty moment, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) brought up Hegseth’s alleged affairs, claiming he cheated on his second wife. The nominee denied the allegations and repeated his contention that the sexual assault accusations were “anonymous smears.”

Hegseth explained that he is “not a perfect person” and that he has “failed at things in my life.”

He added: “And thankfully, I’m redeemed by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) savaged Democrats for their hypocrisy while focusing on Hegseth’s alleged drinking issue and questioning the nominee’s qualifications. “How many senators have shown up drunk to vote at night?” he asked. “Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from their job?

He continued: “How many senators do you know have got a divorce before cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down?”

You guys make sure you make a big show and point out the hypocrisy because a man's made a mistake. You want to sit there and say that he's not qualified? It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourself as this higher standard and you forget you got a big plank in your eye.

Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Gary Peters (D-MI) were the only senators who used a line of attack that might have actually been effective: Bringing up Hegseth’s supposed lack of experience. If the rest of the Democrats had stuck to this approach, they might have had a small chance of convincing the public that the nominee was not qualified for the position.

However, Duckworth absolutely ruined her credibility by using her time to scream at Hegseth about how unqualified she believes him to be.

Most of the Democrats’ line of questioning had to do with the allegations against Hegseth, which was a dire mistake on their part. In the end, the nominee did precisely what he needed to do to secure the position: Convince Republicans that he is the man for the job. Judging by how GOP senators responded to his answers, it appears he did just that.