Five takeaways from the Pete Hegseth hearing

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, has cleared his first hurdle on the path to confirmation: a lengthy — and sometimes tense — hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

For more than four hours on Tuesday, Hegseth faced questions about his ability to run the Defense Ministry, including its three million employees and $849 billion (£695 billion) budget. And even if he was criticized by Democrats over accusations of sexual assault, infidelity and alcohol In the workplace, most Republicans on the committee seemed to support him.

Opposition from Democrats in a closely divided Senate means Hegseth can only afford to lose three Republican votes and still be confirmed.

Here’s a look at the five main takeaways from Hegseth’s testimony.

From the start of his testimony, Hegseth, a military veteran, emphasized what he called a “warrior culture,” pledging to return the Defense Department’s focus to the strength of the U.S. military.

“War, lethality, meritocracy, standards and preparedness. That’s it. That’s my job,” he said in his opening remarks.

As the hearing continued, Hegseth criticized policies he said undermined the military’s effectiveness and “lethality,” including efforts aimed at racial and gender diversity.

“Now is not the time for fairness,” he said, adding that he opposed quotas, which he said hurt morale.

In what became a partisan hearing, Democrats repeatedly questioned Hegseth about her past statements suggesting women were unfit to serve in combat roles in the military.

Questions along these lines from Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Mazie Hirono and Elizabeth Warren were some of the most passionate moments of the morning.

He spoke about Warren, a senator from Massachusetts, as she tried to point out comments about military women dating back years.

“Mr. Hegseth, I quote you on a podcast: ‘Women should not be in combat at all,'” Warren said.

Hegseth remained calm, responding by saying that his concern was not women in combat, but simply maintaining “standards” in the military.

Hegseth, who at 44 would be the youngest Secretary of Defense in decades, also answered questions about his preparation to lead the Department of Defense, a sprawling agency.

The former Fox News host described himself as a “change agent,” saying “it’s time to hand over the rudder to someone who has dust on their boots.”

Some Republicans viewed Hegseth’s lack of experience as a strength.

“I just want to say that despite all the talk about experience and you don’t come from the same cocktails that permanent Washington is used to, you are a breath of fresh air,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, Republican of Missouri.

A graduate of Princeton and Harvard Universities, Hegseth was an infantry platoon leader at Guantanamo Bay and Iraq and received the Bronze Star medal. Hegseth, also a former Fox News TV host, also has military experience in Afghanistan.

Still, Democrats insisted on his qualifications for the top military post. US media reports revealed that Hegseth’s tenures as head of two non-profit veterans the groups found themselves in financial disarray.

Combat veteran Tammy Duckworth wondered if Hegseth had ever overseen an audit.

“Senator, in both organizations that I have led, we have always been completely fiscally responsible,” Hegseth began, before Duckworth interjected.

“Yes or no? Have you conducted an audit? Don’t know that answer?” » said Duckworth.

Some experts told the BBC they were particularly struck by how little Hegseth said about how he would handle the military complexities of the job.

Aside from brief mentions of China and the war in Ukraine and Russia, senators did not ask Hegseth specifically about current conflicts or other potential military adversaries and strategic rivals.

Those basic questions were mostly “crowded out” by questions about Hegseth’s character and skills, said Mara Karlin, a former assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities.

“What’s astonishing about the hearing is how little focus there was on what the Secretary of Defense must do, which is protect the nation and ensure that you have an army that can win conflicts,” Karlin said.

An accusation of sexual assault in Monterey, California, in 2017, which surfaced shortly after Trump tapped him for the Pentagon job, has been brought up several times.

According to a police report, an anonymous woman said Hegseth took her phone and blocked the door as she tried to leave his hotel room before sexually assaulting her.

Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer acknowledged that Hegseth paid an undisclosed amount to remain silent about the incident.

On Tuesday, Hegseth especially went on the offensive, denouncing a “coordinated smear campaign” orchestrated by left-wing media. “They want to destroy me.”

But at other points in the hearing, Hegseth responded to questions about his conduct with impassioned references to his Christian faith.

“I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real,” he said.