Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s candidate for the post of defense secretary, speaks during a confirmation hearing for the armed forces of the Senate, on January 14.
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Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
Pete Hegseth has overcome allegations of sexual assault, public intoxication and questions of financial mismanagement in two groups of veterans whom he directed to narrowly obtain the approval of the Senate to become secretary to the Defense of Donald Trump. The vote was 50-50. Vice-president JD VANCE voted to break equality after Kentucky’s Mitch McConell Senator joined the Senators Lisa Murkoswski from Alaska and Maine Susan Collins to vote against Hegseth.
The only time a vice-president broke up on equality during a confirmation from the cabinet was during Trump’s first mandate, when vice-president Mike Pence voted to confirm Betsy Devos, who became secretary to secretary Education.
Murkowski and Collins voted against Hegseth, citing the allegations and his lack of experience as a manager. In a press release, McConnell said:
“Mr. Hegseth has not yet managed to demonstrate that he will succeed in this test. But while he takes office, the consequences of a failure are more serious than they have never been.”
Speaking to journalists in California after the vote, Trump said Hegseth would make an excellent defense secretary. He said he didn’t know that McConnell had voted no, but added: “Winning is all that matters.”
If four Republicans had voted with the Democrats of the Senate to oppose Hegseth, this would have made the appointment fail.
Among the allegations: Hegseth was accused of having sexually assaulted a woman at a republican conference in 2017 and ended up signing a non-disclosure agreement and paying financial regulations. In addition, a former sister-in-law accused him of “abusive” behavior towards his second wife, who denied physical violence. And Hegseth was responsible for two non -profit groups for veterans where more money was spent than what was received. Hegseth described all the allegations against him, the result of dissatisfied employees or a media defamation campaign against him.
Hegseth, 44, veteran of the National Guard and former animator of Fox News, has no experience at the head of a major organization, and during his confirmation hearing, he spoke about it, saying that he had a Different course. He referred to “dust on his boots” following his combat deployments in Iraq and promised to be a “change agent” and a “disruptor” in the Pentagon.
Since the creation of the post of Secretary of Defense in 1947, all those who held it came from positions raised in politics, industry or the army.
The Republican President of the Senate Armed Services Commission, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said that HegSeth’s work as an animator of Fox News could be beneficial in his new role in the Pentagon.
“We must not underestimate the importance of having a high-level communicator as a defense secretary. Apart from the president, no official plays a more important role in informing men and women in uniform, the Congress and the public of the threats we face and the need for a defense based on peace and strength, “said Wicker.
Hegseth said he wanted to restore the deadly character to an army which he described as “awake” thanks to equity and inclusion programs (DEI) which, according to him, replaced the accent on the war. He is committed to ensuring that promotions are based solely on merit and not on what he wrongly describes as quotas for women and minorities.
During his recent confirmation hearings at the head of the Pentagon, he was challenged for his allegations concerning a quota system. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, DN.Y., holding a copy of current military standards for men and women serving in infantry, said: “Commanders are not forced to respect quotas of women in infantry. It does not exist. And your declarations give the impression that it does not exist. »»
He also criticized the senior Pentagon leaders, notably General CQ Brown, president of the joint chiefs-the second African-American man to occupy this position-as well as Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the navy.
“First of all, you must dismiss the president of chiefs of staff. Any general involved, general, admiral, whatever, which was involved in one of the dei bullshit must leave,” said Hegseth. THE Shawn Ryan show.
Such comments caused a shock wave to the Pentagon, while Hegseth was afraid of starting to dismiss superior officers. During the last days of the first Trump administration, Trump officials tried to remove superior officers in order to give command to “their” officers, according to The merger pointby retirement general Frank McKenzie, former senior officer of the American central command.
“It was an excessive politicization of the officers’ body,” wrote McKenzie, “and nothing could have been more dangerous for the future of the American army than this project like this”. In the end, these proposed staff changes have given nothing.
Hegseth also said in Shawn Ryan’s show that women should not be authorized in earth combat units.
“I just say that we should not have women in combat roles,” he said. “It did not make us more effective, no, more deadly, nor made the fights more complicated.”
Women have been eligible for ground combat jobs since 2016. There are now some 3,800 women serving in infantry, armored vehicles and army artillery. 700 other women are among the land combat units of the Marines.
Hegseth, during his confirmation hearing, relaxed his position on women occupying ground combat posts.
“All soldiers, whatever their gender, which can meet objective standards for professional preparation and preparation for a career field, should have the opportunity to compete for jobs in this field,” HegSeth told the Commission senatorial of the armed forces at the beginning of the month.
“In these roles of ground combat, what is true is that the weight of the ruck on your back does not change, the weight of the 155 cartridge that you should transport does not change, the weight of the machine gun 240 Bravo You are a man or a woman, they must meet the same high standards, “he said.
However, Hegseth accused that the standards had been lowered to allow more women to join the army’s earthly combat units, a point of view strongly disputed by army officials. Hegseth has undertaken to review the standards as a secretary.
Challenges for the Trump Administration Department
Hegseth will inherit an army which is no longer involved in a major war, but which is still engaged in Iraq and Syria, working with local forces to tackle the remains of the Islamic State. American troops also train with African forces to counter any activist in North Africa. One of the questions that can be asked at the time of the arrival of this new administration is whether Trump will continue his anti-EI mission which continues to target the training and command centers of IS .
Another question likely to ask the United States relations with NATO members. Trump has long criticized the Alliance not to pay enough for his own defense and recently called on his members to devote five percent of their GDP to La Défense. The United States now devotes less than three percent to defense.
One of HegSeth’s immediate priorities will be to provide military assistance to the southern border. Some 1,500 soldiers in active service have already been sent there to assist the border patrols, with tasks such as the construction of barriers and transport. Pentagon officials say thousands of additional soldiers should be sent in the coming weeks and months.
