WASHINGTON — In a tense confirmation hearing Tuesday, Democrats grilled Pete Hegseth on women’s roles in the military and questioned the veteran’s qualifications for the position of Secretary of Defense, sparking irritation from some Republican senators.
The tension between the senators on the U.S. Committee on Armed Services emulated the audience’s energy. Supporters for Hegseth, a former Fox News host, clapped and cheered, some wearing hats and t-shirts to show support. Protesters also attended and disrupted the hearing several times before being carried out by police.
Democratic senators cited reports about Hegseth that included accusations of alcohol abuse in the workplace, sexual assault and financial mismanagement at Vets For Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. They also questioned his lack of experience running a large organization.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), probes Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth during his confirmation hearing before the Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee on Jan. 14, 2025. (Joshua Sukoff/Medill News Service)
Military veteran and Sen. Joni Ernst (R–Iowa), asked if Hegseth would support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles.
“Women will have access to ground combat roles,” Hegseth said. “Given, the standards remain high, and we’ll have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded.”
Hegseth said that standards in the military had been lowered to meet quotas and promote inclusion.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.), said commanders do not have quotas for women in the infantry.
Hegseth’s answers on women in combat roles offer a drastic shift following his remarks in a Nov. 7 interview that included, “I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.), highlighted Hegseth’s “very, very big about-face.”
“This hearing now seems to be a hearing about whether or not women are qualified to serve in combat and not about whether or not you are qualified to be Secretary of Defense,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D–Ill.), said to Hegseth during her questioning.
Democrats on the committee repeatedly voiced their disappointment that Hegseth did not meet with them before the official hearing, a break from precedent.
“It should be clear to everybody that he avoided meeting with all of us,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D–Ariz.), said after the hearing. “If he would have met with us ahead of time, we could have maybe had better questions that would have worked better for him.”
Some Republican senators apologized to Hegseth for some of the questions their Democrat colleagues were asking, offering the nominee softball questions ranging from what he loves about his wife to how many push-ups he can do. Others focused their questions on implementing specific programs and policies.
The Committee is set to vote on Hegseth’s nomination Monday. If Hegseth receives a simple majority, the nomination will go to the Senate floor for a vote later this month.
“If he doesn’t get those votes, it’s going to be due to the nasty smear campaign they’ve been launching on him since he accepted the nomination,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R–Fla.), “I would also caution every single senator that’s not going to play ball, if you are a Republican and you’re voting against Pete Hegseth, you will face a challenge and a primary in your next election cycle.”
