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Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Pete Hegseth Faces Confirmation Hearing as Trump's Defense Secretary Pick: Live Updates - The New York Times

Live Updates: Senators Grill Hegseth on Drinking, Sexual Assault Allegations and Women in the Military

"Mr. Hegseth said he wouldn’t drink if confirmed as defense secretary. He denied a sexual assault allegation and said that military standards should not be lowered to accommodate women. Democrats repeatedly called him unfit for the job.

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Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick to serve as defense secretary, faces members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, sought to defend himself against a raft of criticism during a confirmation hearing on Tuesday, as Democrats pressed him on his views about women in combat and support for convicted war criminals. Mr. Hegseth also claimed to have been the victim of a “smear campaign” that raised allegations of past misconduct.

But a key Republican member of the committee, Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a veteran and a sexual assault survivor, appeared satisfied with his responses to her questions about the role of women in the military and sexual assault prevention. Ms. Ernst, who is seen as critical to Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation chances, spent much of her time focusing on their agreement that the Pentagon should be audited.

John Ismay
Jan. 14, 2025, 12:00 p.m. ET

In response to a recitation of the many allegations of personal misconduct that have been made against Hegseth, the nominee said: “I have failed in things in my life, and thankfully I’m redeemed by my lord and savior Jesus.” Falling back on religious claims of redemption appears to be Hegseth’s main line of defense for himself rather than offering substantive denials.

Karoun Demirjian
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:57 a.m. ET

Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, refuted Hegseth’s characterization that the charges against him were anonymous. “You claim that this was all anonymous? We have seen records with names attached to all of these, including the name of your own mother,” Kaine said, adding: “So don’t make this into some anonymous press thing.”

Eric Schmitt
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:56 a.m. ET

Senator Tim Kaine asked about allegations from former colleagues who claimed that he drank excessively, his admitted extramarital affairs and the sexual assault allegation. Hegseth vigorously denied the allegations but also refused to say whether that behavior would be disqualifying for a defense secretary.

Sharon LaFraniere
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:52 a.m. ET

Hegseth has repeatedly said that he was “completely cleared” by a police investigation into an accusation that he raped a woman in Monterey California in 2017. In fact, the police referred the case to the prosecutor’s office, and prosecutors declined to charge him. That is not the same as being completely cleared.

John Ismay
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:52 a.m. ET

Senator Tim Kaine is focusing on Hegseth’s history of adultery, asking if he would respect his oath of office as defense secretary the same way he did for his marriage vows to his first and second wives.

Dave Philipps
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:48 a.m. ET

Early in the hearing, Hegseth said that people who had positive things to say about him were ignored by the news media. But this New York Times article on his views over time about soldiers who were charged with war crimes quotes several people who served with and admired Hegseth.

Helene Cooper
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:46 a.m. ET

Hegseth says troops will “rejoice” if the Pentagon gets rid of the “woke” agenda. Some 43 percent of the 1.3 million men and women on active duty in the United States military are people of color.

Helene Cooper
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:44 a.m. ET

Hegseth: “One of the least racist institutions in our country is the military.” But until Lloyd Austin became secretary of defense in 2021, only white men led the Pentagon.

John Ismay
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:39 a.m. ET

Hegseth refuses to say whether he would direct U.S. forces to invade Greenland if the president ordered military action against the island, which is part of Denmark — a NATO ally.

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Reuters
John Ismay
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:38 a.m. ET

Senator Mazie Hirono asked Hegseth a series of questions about accusations of sexual assault made against him. In response, he said he was falsely accused of sexual assault in 2017 and was “completely cleared.” The senator cast doubt on that assertion before moving on to questions about Hegseth’s use of alcohol in the workplace, and whether he would authorize American troops to shoot protesters.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times
Karoun Demirjian
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:33 a.m. ET

Senator Mazie Hirono also asked Hegseth if he would commit to resigning if he drinks on the job as secretary of defense. Hegseth said, “I’ve made this commitment on behalf of the men and women I’m serving” - an apparent reference to his promise that he would not let a drop of liquor pass his lips if he is confirmed. He doesn’t answer whether he would resign if he breaks that promise.

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Sharon LaFraniere
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:33 a.m. ET

Hegseth’s pledge to abstain from alcohol echoed that of another nominee for defense secretary, John Tower, who in 1989 said: “If confirmed, I won’t have a drink.” Tower also promised to resign if he faltered, but it still was not enough to overcome his reputation of being a carouser and the Senate voted him down.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times
Karoun Demirjian
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:32 a.m. ET

Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii is the first Democratic senator on the panel to use her question time to directly query him about allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse.

Karoun Demirjian
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:32 a.m. ET

Ernst used her time to get Hegseth to repeat publicly promises she had previously said he made to her in private: to support the role of men and women in the military provided they can meet certain standards, to appoint a senior officer to strengthen her past work to prevent sexual assault and rape in the military, and to conduct an audit of the Pentagon.

Karoun Demirjian
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:29 a.m. ET

Senator Joni Ernst urges Hegseth, if confirmed, to stress that “every man and woman has opportunity to serve their country in uniform and do so at any level as long as they are meeting the standards that are set forward,” adding that she believes in high standards. Hegseth said he would support that with the caveats she articulated.

John Ismay
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:30 a.m. ET

Ernst noted that she was denied the opportunity to serve in combat because of her gender while in the Army.

Nearly two hours into his Senate hearing, Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, has vigorously defended himself on a range of contentious issues, including a sexual assault allegation, his lack of management experience and his comments against women serving in combat.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Hegseth hinted at his disdain for the Pentagon’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs, saying “our standards will be high and they will be equal — not equitable.”

Sharon LaFraniere
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:27 a.m. ET

Blumenthal asked Hegseth repeatedly if he would agree to an expanded F.B.I. background check. Hegseth dodged, saying he wasn’t in charge of background checks. Democrats have criticized the background check as insufficiently thorough. According to several sources, the F.B.I. did not conduct a substantive interview of one of Hegseth’s ex-wives last week despite the fact she called the bureau repeatedly to try to set it up.

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Reuters
Karoun Demirjian
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:24 a.m. ET

“I would support you as the spokesperson for the Pentagon, I don’t dispute your communication skills,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, as he argues Hegseth doesn’t have the management experience necessary to be defense secretary.

Karoun Demirjian
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:24 a.m. ET

Senator Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, kicks off her testimony by submitting a letter from Hegseth’s successor at Concerned Veterans of America, praising his leadership skills. Ernst has not said yet whether she will vote for Hegseth, though she committed to support him going through the Senate’s confirmation process.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times
Karoun Demirjian
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:13 a.m. ET

“Politics has nothing to do with the battlefield,” Hegseth said, as Democratic senators accuse him of politicizing the military. “This is about warfighting capability.”

John Ismay
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:10 a.m. ET

While Hegseth served as an infantry officer in the National Guard, there is no evidence that he attempted to attend the Army’s Ranger School — one of the most common leadership and small-unit tactics courses for infantry soldiers. Prior to 2015, women were prohibited from attending that course, but dozens have graduated from it since.

Karoun Demirjian
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:09 a.m. ET

As Democratic senators have been decrying Hegseth for his comments about women in combat roles, Republican senators have been entering various letters from female military officers supporting Hegseth into the record of the hearing.

Helene Cooper
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:05 a.m. ET

Military branches still require women to pass strict fitness tests for the most physically challenging specialty jobs, like the Army Rangers or Green Berets.

A small number of women have been able to meet the physical requirements to join those ranks.

John Ismay
Jan. 14, 2025, 11:05 a.m. ET

Not every woman in the service takes the specialized fitness tests for entering those training courses, just as not all men take them either."

Pete Hegseth Faces Confirmation Hearing as Trump's Defense Secretary Pick: Live Updates - The New York Times

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