Sen. Tim Kaine Invokes SecDef Nominee’s Daughter in Heated Hearing, Sparks Pushback from Conservatives
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., raised eyebrows during the confirmation hearing of secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, when he invoked Hegseth’s daughter during a heated exchange about his past behavior.
Kaine criticized Hegseth for his behavior in earlier marriages, including an October 2017 incident in Monterey, California, in which Hegseth was accused of sexual assault. Hegseth was later cleared of wrongdoing and has described the incident as consensual.
Sen. Kaine questioned Hegseth about the incident, citing his previous comments that the sexual encounter was consensual. Hegseth’s response was met with anger and indignation from Sen. Kaine, who argued that Hegseth had cheated on his wife and the mother of his daughter, Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth, who was born two months after the incident.
Hegseth, who is married, responded by stating that his daughter is a “child of God” and that he is “grateful” to be in a loving relationship with the “amazing woman” behind him.
The exchange sparked outrage from conservatives on social media, who accused Sen. Kaine of crossing a line by invoking Hegseth’s daughter. Some critics compared Sen. Kaine’s actions to those of Hillary Clinton, who was accused of using her position to intimidate and silence her opponents.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., also expressed his disapproval of Sen. Kaine’s line of questioning, saying that it was “despicable” to use a child against an adult.
Despite the controversy, Hegseth’s confirmation hearing continued, with Sen. Kaine moving on to question Hegseth about his relationship with drinking and other allegations that he has dismissed as “false.”