Hegseth grilled about sexual misconduct allegations, view on war crimes

(WASHINGTON) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled pick for defense secretary, faced senators on Tuesday for a contentious confirmation hearing.

Hegseth was grilled by members of the Armed Services Committee on allegations of misconduct and sexual impropriety he’s denied — as well as his position on military policy issues, including women in combat and diversity goals.

Hearing wraps after 4.5 hours

The Armed Services Committee gaveled out at 1:45 p.m., after hours of questions posed to Hegseth.

The hearing largely centered on allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement that Hegseth’s faced. Hegseth has denied those accusations, bemoaning them as a “coordinated smear campaign.”

Senators also debated Hegseth’s qualifications and whether he is experienced enough to lead an agency as large as the Department of Defense.

Relatively little time was spent discussing foreign policy or Trump’s military objectives in a second term.

Hegseth pressed on if he would carry out a potentially illegal order

Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan asked Hegseth multiple times if he would push back should he ever be asked to carry out an illegal order as defense secretary.

“I reject the premise that President Trump is going to be giving illegal order,” Hegseth said.

Mark Kelly grills Hegseth on allegations of public intoxication

Sen. Mark Kelly brought up specific allegations of public intoxication made against Hegseth during his time at a veterans nonprofit.

The Arizona Democrat and veteran asked Hegseth to respond “true or false” to the allegations, which included having to be carried out from functions drunk.

Hegseth responded repeatedly only by calling them “anonymous smears.”

Kelly concluded his time by accusing Hegseth of misleading the committee and the country about his self-proclaimed personal challenges.

“It’s hard to square this circle,” Kelly said. “Which is it? Have you overcome personal issues or are you the target of a smear campaign? It can’t be both. It’s clear to me that you’re not being honest with us or the American people because you know the truth would be disqualifying for the job.”

Republican Schmitt argues Americans are ‘tired of woke ideology’

Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, argued Americans are “tired of woke ideology” as he questioned Hegseth on DEI programs and other military policy initiatives.

Schmitt also had a message for Democrats: “If you haven’t picked up on that, you missed the plot, because that’s what Nov. 5 partially was about.”

Schmitt praised Hegseth as a “disrupter” of the ilk that Americans who voted for Trump want in Washington.

Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran, displays copy of Soldier’s Creed

Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a former helicopter pilot who lost both of her legs when her aircraft was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade, also criticized Hegseth as unqualified for the job.

As she spoke, she displayed a copy of the U.S. Army Soldier’s Creed behind her and recited some of it out loud.

“Every single day that I woke up and fought my way back because I wanted to go back and serve next to my buddies who saved my life, this same copy, these words, I repeated over and over and over again,” she said.

“Mr. Hegseth, our troops follow these words every single day and they man up and they pack their rucksacks and they go to war and they deserve a leader who can lead them,” Duckworth added.

Mullin blasts Democrats over alleged ‘hypocrisy’

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., took aim at Senate Democrats, claiming hypocrisy over their attacks on Hegseth.

“You guys aren’t any more qualified to be the senator than I’m qualified to be,” he said.

Mullin took shots, even asking, “How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night? 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 and you want to sit there and say that he’s not qualified,” said Mullin, who claimed his wife had to forgive him “more than once.”

Democrat Gary Peters says he’s not ‘convinced’ Hegseth can manage Pentagon

Michigan Democrat Gary Peters called out Hegseth’s lack of management experience as a potential problem for an agency the size of the Pentagon.

“You have not convinced me that you are able to take on this tremendous responsibility with this complex organization with little or no management experience,” Peters said.

After his remarks, Republican chairman Roger Wicker briefly chimed in.

“You’ve managed more people than the average United States senator,” Wicker told Hegseth. The remark prompted some laughter among attendees.

Several Democrats say Hegseth ignored requests for meetings

Several Democratic senators have said Hegseth did not respond to their requests for one-on-one meetings ahead of Tuesday’s hearings.

Hegseth spent a notable amount of time on Capitol Hill since his nomination as he looked to shore up support amid the allegations of misconduct.

“I was ready,” Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, told Hegseth as he asked him if he was “afraid” to meet with some of his colleagues.

Tuberville praises Hegseth

Sen. Tommy Tuberville spent most of his questioning praising Hegseth.

The Alabama Republican and former Auburn University football coach made an analogy to football to the confirmation process.

“I came from a team sport where you were the people, the players actually won the games. And that’s what’s going to happen here. You’re not going to win the game now. You’re going to set the precedent,” he said.

Tuberville continued the Republican questioning about the “woke” military and Hegseth again committed to focusing on leadership that focused on military values.

‘I’ve dedicated my life to the warfighters,’ Hegseth says on what drives him

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott asked Hegseth why he wanted the job and what drives him.

Hegseth took a few seconds to collect his thoughts and responded that he loved his country and was “dedicated my life to the warfighters.”

“People that really know me know where my heart’s at. It’s with the guys in this audience who’ve had my back, and I’ve had theirs,” he said.

Senator tries to pin down Hegseth’s view on the Geneva Conventions

Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine pressed Hegseth several times on whether he would abide by the Geneva Conventions, a 1949 set of agreements regulating the use of force during wartime that forbids torture.

Hegseth argued the applications of the Geneva Conventions are “incredibly important” but that the rules of engagement have changed for troops since then.

“The Geneva Conventions are what we base our — but what an “American First” national security policy is not going to do is hand its prerogatives over to international bodies that make decisions about how our men and women make decisions on the battlefield,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth defends controversial tattoo

Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer began his questioning by praising Hegseth’s vocal devotion to Christianity.

He stayed on topic and asked Hegseth to explain why he says he was not allowed to serve with the National Guard during the 2020 Biden inauguration. Hegseth claims that it was because of his tattoo of the Jerusalem Cross on his chest, which has been linked to white nationalists.

Hegseth claimed it was a “historic Christian symbol,” and denied he was an “extremist.”

However, the National Guardsman who in 2021 pegged him as a potential “insider threat” clarified in an interview with ABC News in November that his complaint targeted a “Deus Vult” tattoo on his forearm. The term is used by far-right militants.

Sgt. DeRicko Gaither told ABC News “this wasn’t then and isn’t now a personal attack towards Pete Hegseth.”

“The protocol was followed and would be followed again if this issue involved any other service member, myself included,” he said.

Hegseth did not mention his arm tattoo during his questioning.

Hegseth and Democrat Kaine have contentious exchange on sexual misconduct allegations

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine tore into Hegseth over the sexual assault and misconduct allegations made against him, which Hegseth has denied.

The contentious back-and-forth saw Kaine ask Hegseth if he would respect his oath as defense secretary the same as he did for his marriages.

“I have failed in things in my life, and thankfully I’m redeemed by my Lord and Savior, Jesus,” Hegseth said.

Kaine also pushed back on Hegseth’s claim that the allegations were all from anonymous sources.

“We have seen records with names attached to all of these, including the name of your own mother,” Kaine said.

Hegseth’s mother, Penelope, has defended her son since his nomination but had previously sent an email to him amid his divorce in 2018 in which she wrote that he was an “abuser of women.” The New York Times first reported the email.

Hegseth commits to ‘get woke out of the military’

Alsaka Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan questioned Hegseth and brought up his concerns and criticism of the Biden administration over what he called “woke” issues such as climate change research and investigating racism in the armed services.

He asked Hegseth if that would be the military’s priority under his command.

“My secretary of the Navy, should I be confirmed, sir, will not be focused on climate change,” Hegseth said with a big grin. “Just like the secretary of the Air Force won’t be focused on LG-powered fighter jets. or the secretary of the Army will not be focused on electric-powered tanks.”

“I say we’re going to be focused on lethality, defeating our enemy,” Hegseth added.

Hegseth on whether he would use military to seize Panama Canal, Greenland

Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono pressed Hegseth if he would use the military to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.

President-elect Trump notably did not rule out such a scenario at a news conference last week.

“One of the things that President Trump is so good at is never strategically tipping his hand,” Hegseth said. “And so I would never in this public forum give one way or another what orders the president would give me in any context.”

Hegseth questioned about sexual assault allegations, alcohol use

Hegseth came under fire when questioned by Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono about his past allegations of sexual assault, and alcohol use.

Hegseth pushed back against Hirono about the sexual assault allegation made by a woman in October 2017 claiming “it was fully investigated and I was completely cleared.”

The police did file a report about the incident but while no charges were filed it also did not state he was “cleared.” Hegseth later entered a confidential settlement with the woman in 2020.

“As secretary, you will be in charge of maintaining good order and discipline by enforcing the Uniform Code of Military Justice, UCMJ. In addition to the sexual assault allegations. By the way, the answer to my second question should have been yes,” the senator said.

Ernst, a veteran herself, presses him on women in combat view

Ernst mentioned her own military experience as she questioned Hegseth, saying she was denied an opportunity to serve in a combat role because she had gray hair but standards have since changed.

“Will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles?” she asked, stressing she believed they needed to meet standards set out by the military.

“My answer is yes, exactly the way you caveated it,” Hegseth responded.

Ernst, a sexual assault victim, also asked Hegseth if he would commit to having a senior-level military official dedicated to sexual assault response and prevention, to which he responded yes.

Ernst says she ‘had frank conversations’ with Hegseth

Sen. Joni Ernst, a closely-watched GOP vote, began her questioning by talking about her “frank conversations” with Hegseth during her meetings last month.

The Iowa Republican said she had some concerns about wasteful spending but also women in the military and sexual assault allegations in the military.

“I do appreciate you sitting down and allowing me the opportunity to question you thoroughly on those issues that are of great importance to me,” she said.

“I think previous secretaries of Defense, with all due respect, haven’t necessarily emphasized the strategic prerogative of an audit,” Ernst said.

Hegseth said an audit would be his priority.

Gillibrand grills Hegseth on his claims about quotas

Hegseth has claimed military readiness has been eroded due to “quotas” on racial or gender diversity.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, heatedly pushed back.

“Commanders do not have to have a quota for women in the infantry. That does not exist,” she said. “It does not exist.”

“Everything you’ve said in these public statements is politics,” she continued. “I don’t want women. I don’t want moms. What’s wrong with a mom?”

Hegseth defends comments about women in combat

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen grilled Hegseth on his past comments about women serving in the military, including his previous comments that women should not serve in some combat roles.

“Senator, I would like to clarify, when I’m talking about that issue, it’s not about the capabilities of men and women, it’s about standards,” Hegseth said. “And this committee has talked a lot about standards, standards that we unfortunately, over time, have seen eroded in certain duty positions, certain schools, certain places, which affects readiness, which is what I care about the most, readiness.”

During the exchange, Shaheen asked Hegseth for his message to the almost 400,000 women serving today who she said now may wonder whether they can rise to the highest ranks of the military.

“I would say I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside you, shoulder to shoulder, men and women, Black, white, all backgrounds with a shared purpose,” Hegseth said. “Our differences are not what define us. Our unity and our shared purpose is what define us. And you will be treated fairly and with dignity, honor and respect, just like every man and woman in uniform.”

After a tense back and forth, Shaheen said to Hegseth: “I appreciate your eleventh-hour conversion.”

Hegseth says US has to modernize nuclear arsenal

Sen. Deb Fischer, a Nebraska Republican, questioned Hegseth about investing in the United States nuclear arsenal and whether he agreed with Trump’s posture during his first administration — that preventing attacks from adversaries was the “highest priority.”

“Yes, I do, because ultimately, our deterrence, our survival is reliant upon the capability, the perception and the reality of the capability of our nuclear triad,” Hegseth responded. “We have to invest in its modernization for the defense of our nation.”

Hegseth rails against media when asked to respond to allegations

Committee chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in the first question of the hearing, asked Hegseth to respond to the allegations against him.

“Let’s get into this allegation about sexual assault, inappropriate workplace behavior, alcohol abuse and financial mismanagement during your time as a nonprofit executive,” Wicker said.

Hegseth, who has denied the accusations, railed against what he claimed was a “coordinated smear campaign” by the news media.
“All they were out to do, Mr. Chairman, was to destroy me,” Hegseth said. “And why do they want to destroy me? Because I’m a change agent and a threat to them. Because Donald Trump was willing to choose me, to empower me to bring the Defense Department back to what it really should be, which is war fighting.”

Hegseth then turned personal, saying he’s not “perfect” but is now ready to lead the Pentagon.

“I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real,” he said. “And God forged me in ways that I know I’m prepared for.”

Hegseth opening statement interrupted by outbursts

Hegseth is now speaking for the first time before the committee.

His opening statement is being interrupted by hecklers, who were then escorted out of the room.

Chairman Roger Wicker thanked authorities for their “swift reaction” to the first incident.

“Let me just say this, the Capitol Police are going to remove immediately individuals who are interrupting the hearing,” Wicker said.

Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, endorses Hegseth

Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, introduced and endorsed Hegseth.

Waltz was recognized by Sen. Roger Wicker, the chairman of the committee, who noted Waltz was still a member of Congress for several more days.

“He will bring the perspective of being the first secretary of defense to have served as a junior officer on the front lines, not in the headquarters on the front lines in the War on Terror, and recognizes the human costs, the financial costs and the policy drift that was discussed often in this very room that led us to decades and decades of war,” Waltz said of Hegseth.

Waltz is also a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran.

Charged scene inside the room as confirmation hearing begins

Dozens of veterans — some wearing service badges — filled the hearing room in the Dirksen Building in support of Hegseth, wearing pins with the nominee’s name. A number of them are wearing black baseball caps with the nominee’s name and the bone frog logo associated with the Navy SEALs.

Spotted in the crowd were Sean Parnell, a former Army Ranger and conservative media personality, and Tim Kennedy, an ex-UFC fighter and former Green Beret.

The group, which was buzzing with excitement ahead of the hearing, appeared to cheer for Hegseth and shout “USA!” as the hearing got underway.

There are also a small group of Code Pink antiwar protestors in the room, with signs reading “No Hegseth No Crusade” and “No Hegseth No Christian Jihad.”

ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel, Lauren Peller, Arthur Jones and Olivia Rubin

Panel’s top Democrat to say Hegseth is not qualified for the job

Sen. Jack Reed will tell Hegseth in no uncertain terms that he does not believe he is qualified for the job of Secretary of Defense.

“I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job,” Reed will say, according to his opening statement.

Reed will also address the allegations against Hegseth, which Hegseth has denied.

“We must acknowledge the concerning public reports against you. A variety of sources — including your own writings — implicate you with disregarding laws of war, financial mismanagement, racist and sexist remarks about men and women in uniform, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other troubling issues. I have reviewed many of these allegations, and find them extremely alarming,” Reed will say.

He also alleges that Hegseth’s comments suggest he will politicize the military.

“Indeed, the challenge of the Secretary of Defense is to remove partisan politics from the military. You propose to inject it. This would be an insult to the men and women who have sworn to uphold their own apolitical duty to the Constitution,” the statement says.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

FBI didn’t interview woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault in 2017

The FBI’s probe of Hegseth did not include an interview with a woman who accused him of sexual assault years ago, sources familiar with the situation told ABC News.

Top senators on the Armed Services Committee were briefed on the FBI’s background investigation last week but sources said investigators did not speak to the accuser. The circumstances around the lack of an interview with the woman are unclear.

A police report stated that a woman, identified only as Jane Doe, told investigators in 2017 she had encountered Hegseth at an event afterparty at a California hotel where both had been drinking and claimed that he sexually assaulted her. Hegseth had told authorities that the encounter was consensual.

No charges were filed, although Hegseth subsequently paid the woman as part of a settlement agreement, which Hegseth’s attorney said was only because he feared his career would suffer if her allegations were made public.

Read more about the police report and alleged altercation here.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders and Luke Barr

Trump reiterates support for Hegseth

In a post on his social media platform, Trump wrote Hegseth will make a GREAT Secretary of Defense.

“He has my Complete and Total support. Good luck today, Pete!” Trump wrote.

Plus, Trump senior adviser Jason Miller did a morning show blitz praising Hegseth.

“I think Pete Hegseth is going to kill them with kindness,” Miller said on CNN, previewing Hegseth’s strategy ahead of the hearing.

On Fox News, Miller said he believed Hegseth was the war hero the United States needs and highlighted support from veterans for his nomination.

“I don’t see it so much of a challenge. I think it’s an opportunity to talk about restoring that warrior ethos, that warrior spirit, back into the military,” Miller said as he avoided any concerns of Hegseth’s past.

-ABC News Oren Oppenheim and Kelsey Walsh

Hegseth to pitch himself as ‘change agent’

In his opening statement, obtained by ABC News, Hegseth does not mention the allegations against him but vows to be a “change agent” and bring a “warrior culture” back to the Defense Department.

“I want to thank President Trump for his faith in me, and his selfless leadership of our great Republic,” Hegseth will say, according to the prepared remarks. “The troops could have no better Commander-in-Chief than Donald Trump.”

“He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness,” Hegseth will say. “That’s it. That is my job.”

Hegseth will go on to address his lack of experience compared to previous Pentagon chiefs.

“It is true that I don’t have a similar biography to Defense Secretaries of the last 30 years. But, as President Trump also told me, we’ve repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly ‘the right credentials’ — whether they are retired generals, academics, or defense contractor executives — and where has it gotten us? He believes, and I humbly agree, that it’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent. Someone with no vested interest in certain companies or specific programs or approved narratives,” the prepared statement reads.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott

How Hegseth could overhaul the military

Hegseth, if confirmed, would be in charge of a massive organization of more than 1 million active-duty service members and nearly 1 million civilian workers.

Hegseth has previously discussed going after alleged “wokeness” in the military by firing certain generals, taking aim at DEI initiatives and other programs. He’s also said he is generally against women serving in certain combat roles unless they pass high standards men do.

Read more about the police report and alleged altercation here.

Hegseth’s rocky nomination

Hegseth, a former Fox News host who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and the National Guard, was nominated by Trump in mid-November.

He quickly faced scrutiny from some lawmakers over his lack of management experience. Then came reports of alleged sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement, which he’s denied.

At one point, ABC News reported Trump was looking at possible replacements to Hegseth.

But Hegseth’s spent many days on Capitol Hill looking to shore up support, vowing to fight and telling lawmakers he’s a “changed man.” It appeared he was gaining some Republican support back after his one-on-one meetings with lawmakers, and Trump has since doubled down on his support for his Pentagon pick.

Still, the Senate panel that will question him on Tuesday had quietly sought additional information on some of the allegations before the hearing.

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