Trump nominee Pete Hegseth fends off Democratic attacks at fiery confirmation hearing

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, faced a Senate grilling on Tuesday as lawmakers determine whether they will vote in support of the nominee. 

Hegseth faced intense questioning from Democrats in his Armed Services Committee hearing, including regarding his previous comments related to women serving in military combat roles, and was also interrupted by protesters who disturbed the hearing at some points. 

Trump nominated Hegseth back in November, just days after his decisive election win over Vice President Kamala Harris, lauding him "as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country."

After Hegseth wrapped up his hours-long hearing, Fox News Digital compiled the top five moments. 

Hegseth became emotional during his opening remarks on Tuesday morning while thanking his wife and other family members for supporting him through the nomination process. 

"Thank you to my incredible wife, Jennifer, who has changed my life and been with me throughout this entire process. I love you, sweetheart, and I thank God for you," he said, beginning to choke up. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., dodged questions Tuesday after Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, declining to answer reporters who asked her to share her opinion of Trump’s Defense secretary nominee in wake of the hours-long hearing. 

“Senator Warren, will you come over and speak?” Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson asked Warren, who then ducked away from reporters.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. then chimed in, telling Johnson that Hegseth “did great.” “I think he’s going to get confirmed,” he said. 

The split-screen remarks come after Hegseh was grilled by members of the Senate Armed Services Committee in an hours-long hearing Tuesday, where he faced questions over his career, his personal life, and allegations of heavy drinking and infidelity. 

Warren, for her part, used her seven minutes of questioning to press Hegseth as to whether he would commit to not taking a job in the defense industry after leaving the role at the Pentagon— something he declined to do. 

"Will you agree when you leave the Defense Department, you won't work for the defense industry for 10 years?" Warren asked.

"It's not even something I've thought about," said Hegseth, adding he would consult the law.

Republicans, for their part, praised his testimony, telling reporters that Hegseth appeared to have passed with “flying colors,” conducted himself like a “gentleman,” and seems poised to win confirmation in the chamber.

Written by Breanne Deppisch, video from Julia Johnson.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., invoked secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth’s daughter during a heated hearing, prompting pushback from conservatives on social media who argued that the comments crossed a line. 

"So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime?" the former vice presidential candidate said to Hegseth during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. 

"That's your definition of cleared. You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife. I am shocked that you would stand here and say you're completely cleared. Can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child who had been born two months before? And you tell us you are completely cleared? How is that completely cleared?"

Kaine was commenting on Hegseth’s behavior in earlier marriages, including an October 2017 incident in Monterey, California, in which Hegseth was accused of sexual assault. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, was later cleared of wrongdoing following an investigation, and has since described the incident as consensual. "I was fully investigated and completely cleared," he said of the allegation.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller.

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., says that it is important that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense, is confirmed "immediately" and allowed to start as soon as possible.

"To me, it's important he gets on the job immediately," Banks told reporters.

"We can't vote on confirming him out of the committee until President Trump is President Trump again. So January 20th, the committee will meet and we'll we'll pass him out of the committee... and hopefully he immediately goes to a vote on the floor because we can't wait," he said.

"We can't we can't stall getting him to the Pentagon to get him on the job to do what he has to do," he added.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., called out Democratic senators' "hypocritical" line of questioning of Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth during his confirmation hearing.

Hegseth, who President-elect Trump nominated to lead the Pentagon during his upcoming administration, faced a series of intense questions from Democrat senators on the Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. 

"I think it's so hypocritical of senators, especially on the other side, to be talking about his qualifications," Mullin said of his Democratic colleagues before starting his line of questioning for Hegseth. "And yet your qualifications aren't any better."

The Oklahoma Republican then pointed to Democrats questioning Hegseth on claims, which he has denied, that the defense nominee had showed up to work intoxicated. 

Mullin hit back on the claims about Hegseth's character, charging that elected members of the Senate had previously shown up intoxicated to cast votes.

"Senator Kaine, or I guess I better use the senator from Virginia, starts bringing up the fact that, what if you showed up drunk to your job? How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night?" Mullin charged, prompting some audible laughter from individuals in the room.

"Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from their job? And don't tell me you haven't seen it because I know you have."

Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, who initially did not publicly back Pete Hegseth's nomination as secretary of Defense, publicly questioned the nominee on Tuesday morning on her three "very important issues" surrounding the military. 

"I want to know, again, let's make it very clear for everyone here today, as Secretary of Defense, will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles?"

Ernst asked former Fox News host Hegseth on Tuesday, saying women serving in the military was one of her top three concerns. 

"Senator, first of all, thank you for your service. As we discussed extensively as well, and my answer is yes, exactly the way that you caveated it. Yes, women will have access to ground combat roles, combat roles given the standards remain high, and we'll have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded," Hegseth responded. 

Ernst sits on the ​​Senate Armed Services Committee, which held its hearing on Hegseth's nomination Tuesday morning. She initially withheld public support of the Trump nominee before later signaling she endorsed his nomination.

Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., praised the testimony of Trump Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth in his confirmation hearing, describing his appearance Tuesday as a “tour de force, a takedown” and “a triumph” that he said he expects will ultimately earn him confirmation.

“I think Mr. Hegseth had three audiences— the committee, the United States Senate, and the general American public,” Wicker said after the hearing concluded.

“I think it was a magnificent display of his knowledge and his ability to communicate his leadership abilities,” he added, telling reporters, “I feel very good about this hearing today."

"I don’t think it could have gone any better," Wicker added.

Pressed by reporters to respond to complaints from some Democrats in the Senate that Hegseth had not been subject to a complete background check, Wicker said they “followed the precedent” set by the committee in vetting the last two nominations for the position, under both a Democrat and Republican administration.

“I don’t have any complaints about the FBI investigation,” he said. “They did a thorough job.”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., echoed this assessment, telling reporters that he thought Hegsth “passed the hearing with flying colors.”

While he said he “can't speak for everybody else,” Tuberville said he would “be shocked” if any Republicans voted against him.

Written by Breanne Deppisch, video from Julia Johnson

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., told reporters Tuesday  that he thought Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Defense secretary nominee, did well in his confirmation hearing, and passed the intense, hours-long questioning from Senate Armed Service Commmitee members “with flying colors.”

“He’s awesome,” Tuberville said of Hegseth, noting that he “had an answer for every” adversarial question asked.

“He passed the hearing with flying colors," said Tuberville.

Democrats “tried to rattle him, that’s what their main plan was,” he said, adding “they brought out all these anonymous allegations.”

Ultimately, he said, Hegseth “understood what he was going into. They stepped on him a lot, tried to confuse him, tried to make him mad.” But he was a “perfect gentleman,” said Tuberville, who also noted Hegseth is a longtime friend. 

Asked by reporters if he believes Republicans in the chamber will unanimously vote to confirm Hegseth, Tuberville said “yes," before adding: "Well, I can't speak for everybody else."

"But I'd be shocked” if any Republicans voted against him, he said.

Written by Breanne Deppisch.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was asked about past Pentagon picks and his support for them, as he also criticized the nomination of Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense.

Fox News' Digital's Julia Johnson asked Blumenthal if he would support Secretary Lloyd Austin for the nomination if there was a vote on him today.

"I would support General Austin as secretary of defense. I did when he was nominated," Blumenthal said.

"I would support Secretary Mattis, who was nominated by President Trump during his first term. I would not support this nominee because he lacks the financial management skills, the character and confidence, as well as the moral compass," he said.

President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, was interrupted by at least three protesters during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. 

"Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza," one female protester wearing fatigues shouted as she was escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows. 

Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning, when he was grilled by lawmakers ahead of a committee vote and final confirmation vote on his nomination as secretary of Defense.

An elderly man who was handcuffed with zipties was also seen being escorted out of the hearing. Another man, also appearing to wear fatigues, was seen being carried out by Capitol Police. 

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has spent his days in recent weeks on Capitol Hill meeting with senators to rally support as he battled allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and mismanaging a veterans nonprofit organization. Hegseth has denied the allegations and vowed that he won't drink "a drop of alcohol" if confirmed to Trump's Cabinet.

The confirmation hearing for President-elect's nominee to lead the Department of Defense is now adjourned, after nominee Pete Hegseth was grilled on a host of issues by lawmakers.

Hegseth fended off a number of aggressive lines of questioning from Democratic lawmakers, who accused him of being unqualified, pushed him over his views on women in the military and raised allegations of sexual misconduct.

Hegseth dismissed the latter claims as "anonymous smears" and embraced the fact that he is not a typical Pentagon nominee, promising to restore the agency.

Hegseth outlined his three top missions for the Pentagon: "Restore the warrior ethos;" "Rebuild our military;" and "Reestablish deterrence." 

The Pentagon is bracing for sweeping policy changes under the incoming Trump administration, and some high-level officers could find their careers on the chopping block, Fox News Digital reported in November,

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, to lead the Defense Department – an iconoclast whose pick roiled the defense industrial base.

With Hegseth, the Trump administration is expected to undo diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) accommodations and training within the military. 

"If you want to have a sex change or a social justice seminar, then you can do it somewhere else, but you’re not going to do it in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Space Force or the United States Marines. Sorry," Trump said at an Aug. 21 rally in Asheboro, North Carolina. 

"The military brass that led these absurd and insulting initiatives will likewise be removed, and they will no longer be in command. They’re going to be gone, gone so fast."

Read more about the Pentagon's reaction to Hegseth in this Nov. 18, 2024 story from Morgan Phillips.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., drew laughter from the audience on Tuesday when he took a light jab at his fellow lawmakers at the confirmation hearing of Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense, was being grilled by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., about his experience and his suitability to lead the Pentagon.

Peters said he did not believe that Hegseth was qualified.

"You're a capable person, but I'm not, I do not. You have not convinced me that you're able to take on this tremendous responsibility with a complex organization and having little or no significant management experience," he said.

Wicker then told Hegseth: "It seems to me that you've supervised far more people than the average United States senator supervises."

Members of the audience were vocal in their approval of the remark.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand blasted Pete Hegseth’s remarks on women in the military during his appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday— taking aim in particular at his suggestion that commanders have “quotas” to have certain numbers of female infantry officers or infantry enlisted in their ranks.

“I respect every female service member that has put on the uniform, past and present,” Hegseth said. “My critiques, Senator, recently and in the past, and from personal experience have been instances where I've seen standards lowered” to allow for women to serve. 

Hegseth cited personal instances, some of which were referenced in his book, “The War on Warriors,” that he said showed standards had been changed for women.

Gillibrand then asked Hegseth to give an example of when this occurred.

“Commanders meet quotas to have a certain number of female infantry officers or infantry enlisted and that disparages those women,” Hegseth said. 

Gillibrand then interjected, noting sharply that commanders “do not have to meet quotas for women in the infantry,” she told Hegseth. “That does not exist.

“And your statements are creating the impression that these exist— but they do not,” she said.

Gillibrand then reamed Hegseth on his earlier remarks she said denigrated women, mothers, and LBGTQ+ persons in the military.

“Did you know that when ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was in place, we lost so many crucial personnel— over a thousand in mission critical areas?” Gillibrand said. "We lost 10% of all our foreign language speakers because of a political policy.”

She also noted the many essential roles women have played in recent mission-critical operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, including helping find locations of terrorists and weapons hidden in villages.

“‘I don't want women. I don't want moms,’” Gillibrand said, recounting some of Hegseth's earlier remarks on women in combat.

She then turned to him to ask: “What’s wrong with a mom, by the way?”

“You said in your statement you don't want politics in the DoD,” Gillibrand continued. “Everything you’ve said in these public statements is politics."

Written by Breanne Deppisch

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said he thinks Democrats have been "so hypocritical" when they say Hegseth is not qualified to lead the Defense Department.

"How many senators have shown up drunk to vote at night? Don't tell me you haven't seen it, because you have," the senator said. "How many senators do you know have gotten divorced for cheating on their wives?"

"Did you ask for them to step down? No, it's for show," said Mullin. "It's ridiculous."

Mullin then asked Hegseth if he'd be willing to delegate duties where he did not have the expertise to lead them.

Hegseth responded: "Senator, the only reason I've had success in life to include, I wonder if my wife is because of people more capable around me, and having the self-confidence to empower them and say, hey, run with the ball, run with the football, take it down the field. We'll do this together. I don't care who gets the credit. And in this case, that's how the Pentagon will be run."

Social media users are criticizing a Democratic senator for claiming that Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth would lead a military invasion of Greenland if nominated.

The critiques came during Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing, where lawmakers were given the opportunity to question Trump's pick for Defense secretary.

One Democrat in particular, Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, caused a firestorm of social media reactions after asking Hegseth whether he would invade Greenland or take over the Panama Canal.

"Trump never strategically tips his hand. I would never publicly state one way or another to direct the orders of the president," Hegseth responded.

Hirono also claimed that Trump ordered guards to "shoot protesters in the legs" during a protest at Layfayette Square in Washington D.C. in 2020, and asked if Hegseth would carry out such an order. 

"I was in the Washington, D.C. National Guard unit that was in Lafayette Square during those events, holding a riot shield on behalf of my country," Hegseth said. "I saw 50 Secret Service agents get injured by riot agents."

Brigette Gabriel, ACT for America founder and chairman, wrote that "Mazie Hirono might be the least intelligent Member of Congress, and that's saying something."

"This line of questioning is unbecoming of her position as a United States Senator," Gabriel said on X.

"Clown show," wrote Eric Daughtery, Assistant News Director of Florida's Voice.

Excerpted from Fox News's Aubrie Spady.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., praised Pete Hegseth in his confirmation process to be the next secretary of defense, with the senator claiming Hegseth will be confirmed,

"He's doing a great job. He's explaining basically he's going to talk about...he's talking about what he's going to do to make this the most lethal military in the world," Scott told Fox News Digital's Julia Johnson..

"He's going to be confirmed as the next secretary of defense and he's going to do a great job," he said.

Hegseth did not commit to not taking a job in the defense industry after leaving the defense secretary role under questioning from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

Hegseth has previously advocated for retiring military generals to be banned from taking defense industry jobs for 10 years after their retirement.

"Will you agree when you leave the Defense Department, you won't work for the defense industry for 10 years?" Warren asked.

"It's not even something I've thought about," said Hegseth, adding he would consult the law.

"You are quite sure every General who serves should not go directly into the defense industry for 10 years but you're not willing to make that same pledge?" said Warren.

"I'm not a general, senator," Hegseth shot back.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., noted that the current defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general, was on the board of defense contractor Raytheon before he was confirmed to lead the Pentagon.