Pete Hegseth provides opening remarks at his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing - January 14, 2025 (from committee livestream)
- President-elect Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary faces tough questions during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
Mississippi U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R) opened the Senate Armed Service Committee confirmation hearing of Pete Hegseth on Tuesday. Hegseth is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense.
Wicker, the new chairman of the Senate committee, called Hegseth an “unconventional” choice to lead the Pentagon but said that may be what is needed at this time.
“Washington doesn’t build men like Pete Hegseth. Combat builds men like Pete,” Senator Wicker said, comparing the choice of Hegseth to Trump, saying it was “just like that New York developer who rode down the escalator in 2015.”
Wicker went on to say that Hegseth will “bring energy and fresh ideas to shake up the bureaucracy.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Iraq/Afghanistan veteran, has faced criticism over his handling of a veterans organization as well as allegations of sexual misconduct. Senator Wicker noted most of the allegations have come from anonymous sources in “liberal media publications.”
Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the committee, used his opening remarks to criticize Hegseth’s writings that he said displayed “racism, misogyny, and a total disregard for the rules of war.” Reed said Hegseth was unfit for office.
During his opening remarks to the committee, Hegseth, who was interrupted multiple times by protestors as they were removed from the chamber by Capitol Police, told Senators when President Trump chose him for this position, “the primary charge he gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense.”
“He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness,” Hegseth said, adding, “My only special interest is the warfighter. Deterring wars & if called upon winning wars by ensuring our warriors never enter a fair fight.”
Ahead of the hearing, President-elect Trump shared his support of Hegseth on TruthSocial.
“Pete Hegseth will make a GREAT Secretary of Defense. He has my Complete and Total support. Good luck today, Pete!” Trump wrote.
You can watch the hearing below:
