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AMY GOODMAN: Donald Trump’s pick to become defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, appears to be moving closer to securing enough votes to be confirmed by the Senate. On Tuesday, Republican Senator Jodi Ernst of Iowa announced she’s going to back the former Fox News host. Ernst is a former military officer and survivor of a sexual assault. She initially had expressed skepticism over Hegseth. The New Yorker‘s Jane Mayer revealed a dark money group tied to Elon Musk had spent half a million dollars on ads pressuring Ernst to back Hegseth. Hegseth’s confirmation can only be blocked if three or more Republicans join Democrats in opposing him.
During Tuesday’s one-day hearing, Senate Democrats grilled Hegseth on a number of issues, including his criticism of women in combat, allegations he raped a woman in 2017, reports of public drunkenness and his record running two veterans’ groups where he was accused of financial mismanagement. The hearing ended after just one round of questions, after Republicans rejected a request by Democrats for a second round of questions. Many Democrats also criticized Hegseth for refusing to meet privately with them, which was unprecedented, before Tuesday’s hearing.
Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois questioned Hegseth’s qualifications to run the Defense Department, which employs over 3 million people. Duckworth is an Iraq War veteran, Purple Heart recipient, former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. She lost both her legs in combat in Iraq.
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: What is the highest level of international negotiations that you have engaged in, that you have led in? Because the secretary of defense does lead international security negotiations. There are three main ones that the secretary of defense leads and signs. Can you name at least one of them?
PETE HEGSETH: Could you repeat the question, Senator?
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Sure. What is the highest level of international security agreement that you have led? And can you name some that the secretary of defense would lead? There are three main ones. Do you know?
PETE HEGSETH: I have not been involved in international security arrangements, because I have not been in government —
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: OK.
PETE HEGSETH: — other than serving in the military. So my job has been to —
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: So, no. The answer is no.
PETE HEGSETH: — lead men and women in combat.
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Can you name one of the three main ones that the secretary of defense signs?
PETE HEGSETH: If you’re talking about defense arrangements, I mean, NATO might be one that you’re referring to.
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Status of Forces Agreement would be one of them.
PETE HEGSETH: Status of Forces Agreement. I’ve been a part of teaching —
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: So —
PETE HEGSETH: — about status of forces agreements inside Afghanistan.
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: But you don’t remember to mention it? You’re not qualified, Mr. Hegseth. You’re not qualified. You talk about repairing our defense-industrial complex. You’re not qualified to do that. You could do the acquisition and cross-servicing agreements, which essentially are security agreements. You can’t even mention that. You’ve done none of those. You talked about the Indo-Pacific a little bit, and I’m glad that you mentioned it. Can you name the importance of at least one of the nations in the ASEAN — in ASEAN and what type of agreement we have with at least one of those nations? And how many nations are in ASEAN, by the way?
PETE HEGSETH: I couldn’t tell you the exact amount of nations —
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: No, you couldn’t —
PETE HEGSETH: — in that.
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: — because you’ve not even bothered to do —
PETE HEGSETH: But I know we have allies in South Korea, in Japan and in AUKUS with Australia, trying to —
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: OK.
PETE HEGSETH: — work on submarines with them —
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Mr. Hegseth —
PETE HEGSETH: — and data transfers with them.
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: — none of those countries are in ASEAN.
PETE HEGSETH: We have allies across —
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: None of those three countries that you’ve mentioned are in ASEAN. I suggest you do a little homework.
AMY GOODMAN: Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois questioning Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to be defense secretary. This is Hegseth responding to New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who questioned him about his past comments opposing women serving in combat roles.
PETE HEGSETH: I respect every single female service member that has put on the uniform, past and present. My critiques, Senator, recently and in the past, and from personal experience, have been instances where I’ve seen standards lowered. And you mentioned 11 Alpha, 11 Bravo, MOS, places in units. And it — the book that has been referenced multiple times here, The War on Warriors, I spent months talking to active-duty service members, men and women, low ranks, high ranks, combat arms and not combat arms. And what each and every one of them told me, and which personal instances have shown me, is that in ways direct, indirect, overt and subtle, standards have been changed inside infantry training units, Ranger school, infantry battalions to ensure that —
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND: Give me one example.
PETE HEGSETH: — commanders meet —
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND: Please give me an example. I get you’re making these generalized statements.
PETE HEGSETH: Commanders meet quotas to have a certain number of female infantry officers or infantry enlisted. And that disparages those women —
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND: Commanders do not have to meet quotas for the infantry.
PETE HEGSETH: — who are incredibly capable of meeting that standard.
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND: Commanders do not have to have a quota for women in the infantry. That does not exist. It does not exist. And your statements are creating the impression that these exist. Because they do not. There are not quotas. We want the most lethal force. But I’m telling you, having been here for 15 years listening to testimony about men and women in combat and the type of operations that were successful in Afghanistan and in Iraq, women were essential for many of those units. When Ranger units went in to find where are the terrorists hiding in Afghanistan or in Iraq, if they had a woman in the unit, they could go in, talk to the women in a village, say, “Where are the terrorists hiding? Where are the weapons hiding?” and get crucial information to make sure that we can win that battle. So, just you cannot denigrate women in general, and your statements do that. “We don’t want women in the military, especially in combat.” What a terrible statement! So, please, do not deny that you’ve made those statements. You have.
AMY GOODMAN: Democratic New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand questioning defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth. And this is Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii.
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO: In June of 2020, then-President Trump directed former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to shoot protesters in the legs in downtown D.C., an order Secretary Esper refused to comply with. Would you carry out such an order from President Trump?
PETE HEGSETH: Senator, I was in the Washington, D.C., National Guard unit that was in Lafayette Square during those events —
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO: Would you carry out an order to shoot protesters —
PETE HEGSETH: — holding a riot shield on behalf of my country.
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO: — in the legs —
PETE HEGSETH: I saw 50 Secret Service agents —
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO: — as directed to Secretary Esper?
PETE HEGSETH: — get injured by rioters trying to jump over the fence —
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO: Again —
PETE HEGSETH: — set the church on fire and destroy a statue.
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO: You know what? That sounds to me that you will comply —
PETE HEGSETH: Chaos.
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO: — with such an order. You will shoot protesters in the leg. Moving on. President-elect has attacked our allies in recent weeks, refusing to rule out using military force to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal and threatening to take — to make Canada the 51st state. Would you carry out an order from President Trump to seize Greenland, a territory of our NATO ally Denmark, by force, or would you comply with an order to take over the Panama Canal?
PETE HEGSETH: Senator, I will emphasize that President Trump received 77 million votes to be the lawful commander-in-chief of this country.
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO: We’re not talking about the election. My question is: Would you use our military to take over Greenland, or an ally of Denmark?
PETE HEGSETH: Senator, one of the things that President Trump is so good at is never strategically tipping his hand. And so, I would never in this public forum give, one way or another —
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO: So, that sounds to me —
PETE HEGSETH: — direct, what orders the president would give to me in any context.
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO: That sounds to me that you would contemplate carrying out such an order to basically invade Greenland and take over the Panama Canal.
AMY GOODMAN: Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii questioning Pete Hegseth at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Forces Committee. This is Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who asked Hegseth about allegations that he raped a woman at a Republican women’s conference in Monterey, California, in 2017.
SEN. TIM KAINE: I want to return to the incident that you referenced a minute ago that occurred in Monterey, California, in October 2017. At that time, you were still married to your second wife, correct?
PETE HEGSETH: I believe so.
SEN. TIM KAINE: And you had just fathered a child by a woman who would later become your third wife, correct?
PETE HEGSETH: Senator, I was falsely charged, fully investigated and completely cleared.
SEN. TIM KAINE: So, you think you were completely cleared because you committed no crime. 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 that had been born two months before, and you tell us you were completely cleared?
PETE HEGSETH: Senator —
SEN. TIM KAINE: How is that a complete clear?
PETE HEGSETH: Senator, her child’s name is Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth. And she’s a child of God, and she’s 7 years old.
SEN. TIM KAINE: And she was —
PETE HEGSETH: I’m glad she’s here.
SEN. TIM KAINE: And you cheated on the mother of that child less than two months after that daughter was born, didn’t you?
PETE HEGSETH: Those were false charges.
SEN. TIM KAINE: Well, no —
PETE HEGSETH: It was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared. And I am so grateful —
SEN. TIM KAINE: You’ve admitted —
PETE HEGSETH: — for the marriage I have to this amazing woman behind me.
SEN. TIM KAINE: Now, you’ve admitted — you’ve admitted that you had sex at that hotel on October 2017. You’ve said it was consensual, isn’t that correct?
PETE HEGSETH: Anything —
SEN. TIM KAINE: You’ve admitted that it was consensual. And you were still married, and you just had a child by another woman.
PETE HEGSETH: Again —
SEN. TIM KAINE: How do you explain your judgment?
PETE HEGSETH: Completely false charges against me.
SEN. TIM KAINE: You —
PETE HEGSETH: Fully investigated, and I was completely cleared.
SEN. TIM KAINE: You have admitted that you had sex while you were married to wife two after you just had fathered a child by wife three. You’ve admitted that. Now, if it had been a sexual assault, that would be disqualifying to be secretary of defense, wouldn’t it?
PETE HEGSETH: It was a false claim then and a false claim now.
SEN. TIM KAINE: If it had been a sexual assault, that would be disqualifying to be secretary of defense, wouldn’t it?
PETE HEGSETH: That was a false claim.
AMY GOODMAN: Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth answering questions from Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine. And this is Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly confronting Pete Hegseth about reports he’s been drunk at work.
SEN. MARK KELLY: So, while leading Concerned Veterans of America, there were very specific cases cited by individuals about your conduct. I’m going to go through a few of them, and I just want you to tell me if these are true or false. Very simple. On Memorial Day 2014, at a CVA event in Virginia, you needed to be carried out of the event for being intoxicated.
PETE HEGSETH: Senator, anonymous smears.
SEN. MARK KELLY: Just true or false? Very simple. Summer of 2014 in Cleveland, drunk in public with the CVA team.
PETE HEGSETH: Anonymous smears.
SEN. MARK KELLY: I’m just asking for true or false — true or false answers. An event in North Carolina, drunk in front of three female staff members after you had instituted a no-alcohol policy and then reversed it. True or false?
PETE HEGSETH: Anonymous smears.
SEN. MARK KELLY: December of 2014 at the CVA Christmas party at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C., you were noticeably intoxicated and had to be carried up to your room. Is that true or false?
PETE HEGSETH: Anonymous smears.
SEN. MARK KELLY: Another time, a CVA staffer stated that you passed out in the back of a party bus. Is that true or false?
PETE HEGSETH: Anonymous smears.
SEN. MARK KELLY: In 2014, while in Louisiana on official business for CVA, did you take your staff, including young female staff members, to a strip club?
PETE HEGSETH: Absolutely not. Anonymous smears.
SEN. MARK KELLY: I’m going to leave with concerns about your transparency. You say you’ve had personal issues in your past, yet when asked about those very issues, you blame an anonymous smear campaign, even when many of these claims are not anonymous. Which is it? Have you overcome personal issues, or are you the target of a smear campaign? It can’t be both. It’s clear to me that you’re not being honest with us or the American people because you know the truth would disqualify you from getting the job. And just as concerning as each of these specific disqualifying accusations are, what concerns me just as much is the idea of having a secretary of defense who is not transparent.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. No Democrats met with — got to meet with Hegseth before that hearing, except for the ranking member, Senator Reed. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma criticized the Democrats’ questioning of defense secretary [nominee] Pete Hegseth.
SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN: 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? 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. And then, how many senators do you know have got a divorce before cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down? No. But it’s for show. You guys make sure you make a big show and point out the hypocrisy because a man’s made a mistake.
AMY GOODMAN: And those are some of the excerpts from Pete Hegseth’s Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. When we come back, we’ll be joined by two military veterans who were arrested for protesting Hegseth at the hearing. Stay with us.
