WATCH LIVE: Trump Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing
A high-stakes showdown looms on Capitol Hill Tuesday as Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, faces the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Hegseth has stirred national debate ever since his name surfaced as a leading contender, and Tuesday’s hearing promises to be one of the most contentious confirmation battles of the week.
A former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran, Hegseth’s past comments have prompted doubts for some about his suitability for the role.
In past writing he advocated that the U.S. get rid of “woke” military leaders, insisting women should not serve in combat, and urging pardons for service members accused of war crimes. He has also been dogged by an eight-year-old sexual assault allegation—an accusation his attorney said was “fully investigated” and which the nominee vigorously denied.
In a strange twist his own mother appeared on Fox & Friends in December to vouch for her son and blast the media as “disgusting” for publishing a private email she sent to Hegseth in 2018 in which she scolded him for cheating on his then-wife.
Meanwhile, reports surfaced that Hegseth misappropriated funds and was frequently intoxicated during his tenure as CEO of the Koch-backed Concerned Veterans for America between 2013 and 2016. Asked about those allegations, Hegseth told reporters: “I’m a different man than I was years ago, and that’s a redemption story that I think a lot of Americans appreciate.”
Democrats, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), aim to grill Hegseth on those reports. Warren’s list of 72 questions includes whether he has “ever received any treatment for substance abuse or alcohol” and pointedly: “How many times have you been accused of sexually harassing or sexually assaulting another individual?”
Viewers can stream the hearing above at Mediaite from its beginning, set for 9.30am ET.
All eyes will be on Hegseth as he seeks to convince lawmakers—and Americans—that he is fit to helm the nation’s colossal defense apparatus.
