President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, defended his support for service members accused and convicted of war crimes on Tuesday, saying there was “prosecutorial misconduct” in their cases and that he was “proud” to ensure they were looked after.
He continued, “In many of the cases you’re talking about in particular, sir, there was evidence withheld, there was prosecutorial misconduct, and as someone who looks case by case and defaults to the war fighter — to the men and women with dust on their boots, not the second guessers in air conditioned offices in Washington, DC — I looked case by case and was proud to work with President Trump to understand those cases and ensure that our warriors are always looked out for.”
Hegseth came under fire during his confirmation hearing today, as the top Democrat on the Senate committee accused him of lacking the “character and composure” to lead the U.S. military.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, is one of the most controversial figures ever nominated to be Secretary of Defense. The 44-year-old has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the military, questioning whether the top U.S. general has the job because he’s Black. Prior to his nomination, Hegseth strongly opposed women in combat roles.
Hegseth’s opening remarks to the committee, praising Trump, were repeatedly interrupted by protesters. He vowed to bring back a “warrior culture” to the U.S. military.”(Trump) believes, and I humbly agree, that it’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent,” Hegseth said.”
“When President Trump chose me for this position, the primary charge he gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense,” Hegseth added.
In a 2021 incident first reported by Reuters, Hegseth was branded an “insider threat” by a fellow member of the Army National Guard over his tattoos. Hegseth has said the incident led him to be pulled from Guard duty in Washington during President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
“We cannot have a Defense Secretary whose fellow servicemembers feel concerned enough about to report as a potential insider threat,” Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote in a letter to Hegseth ahead of the hearing.
In recent weeks, Trump’s party has coalesced around his pick. “I look forward to discussing (Hegseth’s) plans to shake up DoD (Department of Defense) and protect the warfighter,” Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin said on Monday.
Still, the slim Republican Senate majority means that Hegseth can lose support from no more than three Senators to be confirmed, if Democrats and independents unite against him.
Cabinet nominees almost never lose Senate votes, because they typically are withdrawn if they seem to be in trouble.
Hegseth, who has little management experience, would be in charge of an organization with a nearly $1 trillion budget, 1.3 million active-duty service members and nearly 1 million civilian workers.
The next Secretary of Defense will face a number of major overseas issues, including active conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and the expansion of China’s military, though it is unclear how much time will be spent on them during the hearing.
