Secretary of Defense Hopeful Pete Hegseth Denies Allegations, Calls Them Part of “Coordinated Smear Campaign”
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary, denied a range of allegations about his personal and professional conduct during a tense Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday. Hegseth, a 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host, claimed that reports about his alleged sexual impropriety, alcohol abuse, and mismanagement of nonprofits were based on “anonymous sources” and peddled by media outlets trying to “destroy me.”
Senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee grilled Hegseth about his past comments on the role of women and other groups in the military, as well as his admitted infidelities. Hegseth faced criticism from Democrats, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who accused him of denigrating active-duty service members and asked him to provide an example of his concerns about standards being lowered for female infantry officers. Hegseth cited quotas for female infantry officers, but Gillibrand shot back, “That does not exist.”
Republicans on the committee, however, offered near-uniform praise for Hegseth and echoed his criticisms of the U.S. military’s direction under the Biden administration. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., accused Democrats of hypocrisy, saying, “How many senators do you know have got a divorce before cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down?” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., compared Hegseth’s unconventional candidacy to that of President-elect Donald Trump.
Despite the controversy surrounding his nomination, some Republicans have signaled that they believe Hegseth has enough support to advance past the Armed Services Committee and be confirmed by the full Senate. The circumstances of Hegseth’s nomination have drawn comparisons to the dramatic Senate hearing centered on sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee.