President-elect Trump's nominee for Defense Secretary, Fox News veteran and Army combat veteran, will face tough questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee. Hegseth's nomination has been met with controversy, with some senators raising concerns about his management experience and past allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior toward women.
Hegseth , a former Fox News host and Army combat veteran, will be the first of Trump 's Cabinet picks to be publicly questioned by members of Congress when he appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Roughly 100 other Trump nominees are also scheduled this week as senators race to help Trump fill out his administration ahead of his inauguration next Monday. Hegseth will be introduced at the hearing by Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump 's incoming national security adviser, and former Sen.
Norm Coleman, R-Minn. According to his prepared opening remarks, Hegseth plans to pitch himself as a 'change' agent, saying his goals are to “restore the warrior ethos,” “rebuild our military” and “re-establish deterrence.” 'Unlike the current administration, politics should play no part in military matters. We are not Republicans or Democrats — we are American warriors,' Hegseth will say.'Our standards will be high, and they will be equal (not equitable, that is a very different word).' Some senators have expressed concern that Hegseth does not have adequate management experience to oversee the sprawling military bureaucracy, which employs more than 2.1 million people and has a budget of more than $800 billion. Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly newsletter. Trump has expressed his full support for Hegseth. Trump's allies on Capitol Hill and in outside conservative groups have been pressuring Republican senators to support the nomination. 'He will be ripped, he will be demeaned, he will be talked about, but we’re going to get him across the finish line,' Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said Monday. With little to no support expected to come from Democrats, Hegseth cannot afford to lose many GOP votes in the narrowly divided Senate. A key vote on the Armed Services Committee will be that of Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a military veteran and sexual assault survivor who has been skeptical of Hegseth's bid. Outside of the panel, two Senate Republican women often seen as moderates, Susan Collins, of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, are also of particular focus.Senators in both parties have expressed concern about a 2017 sexual assault allegation. A female staffer for a Republican women’s group said Hegseth took her phone and blocked her from leaving his hotel room before after a political convention in Monterey, California. She reported the incident to police, and Hegseth settled for an undisclosed sum. Hegseth has said the relation was consensual, and his lawyer said he “strongly felt that he was the victim of blackmail and innocent collateral damage in a lie that the Complainant was holding onto to keep her marriage intact.” The report also contained several allegations of Hegseth's alleged misuse of his power toward women, including allegations of inappropriate behavior toward women in his household staff and allegations of sending sexually explicit text messages to his ex-wives, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the contents of the report. Hegseth's ex-wife also accused him of abusing women in text messages during his second divorce, though she later recanted the allegations, calling her son a'changed man,' and she now supports his nomination. Senators, including Collins, have said they have held productive meetings with Hegseth at which he surpassed their expectations. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday that Hegseth's background was'deeply troubling.' 'Mr. Hegseth will have an opportunity to answer questions about these allegations and about his record, as well as his views,' Schumer said.'He can expect this — his hearing to be tough but respectful, candid but fair.
Hegseth Defense Secretary Senate Hearing Trump Controversy Sexual Assault Allegations
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