WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth will publicly face senators for the first time Tuesday after weeks of privately pushing back on criticism over his qualifications and personal past.
Hegseth, a 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News Channel weekend host, has faced strong criticism from Democrats over his thin resume compared to previous defense secretaries, along with allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and mismanagement of veterans organization finances — all of which he denies.
Many Republicans have been vocally supportive of Hegseth’s nomination, but others have remained noncommittal as the reports surfaced about his past behavior.
President-elect Donald Trump has remained strongly supportive of Hegseth, who has worked to win favor with Senate Republicans in one-on-one meetings over the last month.
Trump posted on social media in December that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!"
What to watch as Hegseth’s hearing gets underway on Tuesday morning:
How he would run the department
Republicans have said they view Hegseth's combat experience as an asset, but Democrats say they are deeply concerned that he is largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage.
The Defense Department has a budget exceeding $800 billion, with about 1.3 million active-duty troops and another 1.4 million in the National Guard and Reserves and civilian employees based worldwide. Hegseth would face a daunting array of global crises, from the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and the expanding alliance between Russia and North Korea to the growing competition with China.
Look for Democrats to question Hegseth on the specifics of how he would manage the huge department — and how he would represent the United States in diplomatic situations around the world.
“We need a serious candidate, one that is capable of doing this job,” said Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Democrat on the committee.
Republicans say his resume is an advantage over traditional Pentagon leaders and praise him for wanting to overhaul the department.
“While maybe not the credentials that have traditionally been on the resume of nominees for secretary of defense, I think that he brings plenty and he brings some things that some of those more traditional nominees didn’t bring,” said North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican member of the panel. “He’ll be disruptive in a good way.”
Women in combat
Hegseth said as recently as last year that women "straight up" should not serve in combat roles. So attention will be on the two female Iraq War veterans on the committee — Republican Joni Ernst of Iowa and Democrat Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who lost both legs when a Blackhawk helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Duckworth said ahead of the hearing that she will question Hegseth on whether he will try and reduce the role of women in combat and how he would do so. How would it affect recruiting? Would men be deployed more often as a result? “We can’t go to war without them,” she said.
Ernst has met with Hegseth twice after saying she wants to hear more about his views. She has not yet said if she will support him.
Hegseth said on "The Megyn Kelly Show" in December that "if we have the right standard and women meet that standard, roger. Let's go."
Allegations of sexual assault
Hegseth has been fighting back against allegations of excessive drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies.
Democrats are expected to demand an explanation from Hegseth. In a letter to him last week, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is on the Armed Services panel, questioned if Hegseth would be able to lead, saying she was "deeply concerned by the many ways in which your past behavior and rhetoric indicates that you are unfit."
Republican Sen. Ernst, who is a survivor of sexual assault, said her second meeting with Hegseth had " encouraging conversations." She said Hegseth committed "to completing a full audit of the Pentagon" and to hiring a senior official who will "prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks."
Many Republicans have rallied around Hegseth, with some appearing to question if the reports are true. Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty said last month that it is a "shame" that something that has been previously investigated "is back to some he said, she said thing."
Will he have the votes?
Hegseth is likely to have near-unanimous Republican support on the committee and potentially in the full Senate. But it could depend on how effectively he is able to defend himself, and his point of view, in the hearing. He can only lose four Republican votes in the 53-47 Senate if all Democrats vote against his confirmation, as Vice President-elect JD Vance could cast a tie-breaking vote.
South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican member of the Armed Services panel, said Hegseth has been straightforward with Republican senators that he knows he will have to address some of the allegations against him.
“I think he will,” Rounds said, “and at the same time, we’ll give him ample opportunity to talk about what he believes his role would be as a secretary, and the vision that he has for the department.”
Rounds said he expects to support Hegseth, unless anything changes. “I think the president gets the benefit of the doubt in his nominees,” he said.