Protection secretary nominee Pete Hegseth will publicly face senators for the primary time Tuesday after weeks of privately pushing again on criticism over his {qualifications} and private previous.
Many Republicans have been vocally supportive of Hegseth’s nomination, however others have remained noncommittal because the experiences surfaced about his previous habits.
President-elect Donald Trump has remained strongly supportive of Hegseth, who has labored to win favor with Senate Republicans in one-on-one conferences over the past month.
Trump posted on social media in December that “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!”
Right here’s what to observe as Hegseth’s listening to will get underway on Tuesday morning:
How he would run the division
Republicans have mentioned they view Hegseth’s fight expertise as an asset, however Democrats say they’re deeply involved that he’s largely inexperienced and untested on the worldwide stage.
The Pentagon
The Protection Division has a funds exceeding $800 billion, with about 1.3 million active-duty troops and one other 1.4 million within the Nationwide Guard and Reserves and civilian staff based mostly worldwide. Hegseth would face a frightening array of worldwide crises, from the wars within the Center East and Ukraine and the increasing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the rising competitors with China.
Search for Democrats to query Hegseth on the specifics of how he would handle the large division — and the way he would signify the US in diplomatic conditions all over the world.
“We need a serious candidate, one that is capable of doing this job,” mentioned Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Democrat on the committee.
Republicans say his resume is a bonus over conventional Pentagon leaders and reward him for desirous to overhaul the division.
“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,” mentioned North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican member of the panel. “He’ll be disruptive in a good way.”
Girls in fight
Hegseth mentioned as not too long ago as final yr that ladies “straight up” shouldn’t serve in fight roles. So consideration will likely be on the 2 feminine Iraq Warfare veterans on the committee — Republican Joni Ernst of Iowa and Democrat Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who misplaced each legs when a Blackhawk helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth
Duckworth mentioned forward of the listening to that she’s going to query Hegseth on whether or not he’ll attempt to scale back the position of girls in fight and the way he would accomplish that. How would it not have an effect on recruiting? Would males be deployed extra usually in consequence? “We can’t go to war without them,” she mentioned.
Ernst has met with Hegseth twice after saying she needs to listen to extra about his views. She has not but mentioned if she’s going to help him.
Hegseth mentioned on “The Megyn Kelly Present” 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 preventing again towards allegations of extreme ingesting and the revelation that he made a settlement cost after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies.
Sen. Joni Ernst
Democrats are anticipated to demand an evidence from Hegseth. In a letter to him final week, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who’s on the Armed Companies panel, questioned if Hegseth would have the ability to lead, saying she was “deeply involved by the various methods through which your previous habits and rhetoric signifies that you’re unfit.”
Republican Sen. Ernst, who’s a survivor of sexual assault, mentioned her second assembly with Hegseth had “ encouraging conversations.” She mentioned Hegseth dedicated “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 round Hegseth, with some showing to query if the experiences are true. Tennessee Sen. Invoice Hagerty mentioned final month that it’s a “shame” that one thing that has been beforehand investigated “is back to some he said, she said thing.”
Will he have the votes?
Hegseth is more likely to have near-unanimous Republican help on the committee and probably within the full Senate. But it surely might rely on how successfully he is ready to defend himself, and his viewpoint, within the listening to. He can solely lose 4 Republican votes within the 53-47 Senate if all Democrats vote towards his affirmation, as Vice President-elect JD Vance might forged a tie-breaking vote.
South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican member of the Armed Companies panel, mentioned Hegseth has been simple with Republican senators that he is aware of he must tackle a number of the allegations towards him.
“I think he will,” Rounds mentioned, “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 mentioned he expects to help Hegseth, until something adjustments. “I think the president gets the benefit of the doubt in his nominees,” he mentioned.
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