5 Essential Insights from Pete Hegseth’s Confirmation Hearing

Pete Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on January 14 to advocate for his appointment as the next Secretary of the Defense Department.

Hegseth was the first of about a dozen candidates nominated by President-elect Donald Trump who were scheduled to appear before Senate committees that week, and he is seen as one of the more contentious selections for the Cabinet.

This contention was evident as Hegseth entered the packed Senate chamber amidst loud applause and chants of “U.S.A.”, which were soon overshadowed by angry shouts and claims of support for genocide in the Middle East.

The polarization persisted throughout the lone round of questioning from lawmakers. Democrats challenged Hegseth regarding his professional background and personal shortcomings, while Republicans commended him for opposing “woke” policies in the military.

Here are some critical highlights from the hearing.

1. Hegseth Emphasizes Military Warfighting Capabilities

Hegseth aimed early to dispel concerns that he intended to pursue a vendetta against Trump’s perceived political adversaries within the military.

He asserted that both he and Trump would prioritize enhancing the military’s warfighting capabilities, independent of the political affiliations of its members.

“[Trump], like myself, desires a Pentagon completely concentrated on lethality, meritocracy, warfighting, accountability, and readiness,” Hegseth stated in his opening remarks.

“We will maintain a patriotically apolitical stance while adhering strictly to the Constitution.”

When questioned about previous statements in which he attributed many of the military’s perceived shortcomings to Democrats and leftists, Hegseth admitted that the incoming Trump administration would replace several officers but insisted that promotions and removals would be merit-based.

Hegseth mentioned his goal to restore “real deterrence” for the American homeland, starting at the southern border and expanding to confront China in the Indo-Pacific region, as part of a broader administration shift toward a “peace through strength” approach to foreign policy.

To achieve this, Hegseth indicated he would “reinvigorate the warrior culture” within the Pentagon, which he claimed has become less mission-driven and places procedural adherence over operational success.

2. Qualification Scrutiny

Democratic senators scrutinized Hegseth’s professional history, pointing out that he has never managed an audit, reduced costs for an organization, conducted acquisition or reform initiatives, led international security discussions, and seemed largely uninformed about regional challenges in the Indo-Pacific where military forces are engaged against communist China.

Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) implied that Hegseth was insisting the Department of Defense uphold higher standards for its servicemembers while lowering the bar for himself.

“I’m not aware of any corporate board that would choose a CEO for a major company based solely on saying, ‘I oversaw a hundred individuals before,’” Peters stated.

“I don’t believe there’s a board in America that would select you as CEO with the qualification that you put forth in your résumé.”

Hegseth tackled concerns regarding his qualifications by asserting he was cultivating “one of the best teams” to assist him in leading the Pentagon.

“The only reason for my successes in life, including my wonderful wife, is due to the talented people around me and my ability to empower them with confidence to say: ‘Take the lead. Move forward. We’ll succeed together, regardless of who gets the recognition,’” he explained.

“That will be the approach to managing the Pentagon.”

3. Women in Combat Roles

Hegseth’s stance on women in the military was also a recurrent theme during the hearing.

In a November 7, 2024, interview with podcast host and former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan, Hegseth expressed general support for women servicemembers, but later added, “I firmly believe that we should not have women in combat roles.”

During the Senate hearing, Hegseth aimed to soften that position, declaring he would not categorize women from combat roles but maintained opposition to relaxing standards to facilitate greater access to those positions.

Currently, women in combat positions must meet the same training standards as men, but their physical standards in military-wide annual assessments are lower.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) compared Hegseth’s earlier statements to Ryan with his more recent comments made since his nomination, in which he declared support for all women contributing to the U.S. military, including in combat.

“What confuses me, Mr. Hegseth, is which stance is your true position? Why should military women trust that if you were Secretary of Defense, they would have an equitable opportunity to advance in the ranks?”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) reframed the discussion about women in combat roles, asserting that while women have participated in combat through support roles for years, Pentagon policies have only recently shifted to allow women to occupy specific combat specialties such as infantry, artillery, and special operations.

Hegseth stated that any adjustments to standards aimed at boosting diversity would detract from military readiness, meritocracy, and combat efficacy.

“That’s the type of evaluation I’m referencing, not whether women should have access to ground combat,” he stated, highlighting that commanders are often compelled to “meet quotas for a specified number of female infantry officers or enlisted members.”

The Pentagon maintains no such existing policy.

4. Commitment to Reinstate Vaccine Refusers

Aligning with a major promise made by Trump, Hegseth also pledged that all servicemembers who were involuntarily discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine would be reinstated with retroactive pay.

“They will not only be reinstated, but they will also receive an apology, back pay, and the rank they lost because they were ousted over an experimental vaccine,” Hegseth declared.

The Department of Defense requires nine other vaccinations for all servicemembers, in addition to an extra eight based on specialty or deployment location, but it rescinded the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in 2023.

Despite this, current Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has not yet reinstated those who were discharged at that time.

The cost of back pay for these thousands of discharged troops remains unclear, along with whether it would garner bipartisan support. A bill proposed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in 2023 aimed to achieve a similar result but did not pass.

5. Alcohol and Sexual Assault Allegations

The hearing also shifted focus to encompass inquiries related to Hegseth’s personal conduct, including accusations of alcohol misuse and sexual assault.

In addressing the alcohol allegations, Hegseth stated he would pledge sobriety for the duration of his tenure as defense secretary if confirmed but did not commit to resigning should he fail to uphold that promise.

Regarding the sexual assault claims, he maintained that a 2017 incident was consensual and pointed out that law enforcement cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) challenged Hegseth’s assertion that he was entirely exonerated from the 2017 sexual assault allegation, noting that he had made a nondisclosure agreement with his accuser to settle the allegation.

Throughout the hearing, Hegseth often dismissed the drinking claims as stemming from anonymous sources. In one exchange, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) mentioned he knew of named sources supporting the alcohol allegations.

“I understand you’ve denied these accusations, but isn’t that sort of behavior that, if true, would disqualify someone from being Secretary of Defense?” Kaine pressed.

“These are false, anonymous accusations,” Hegseth responded.

At another moment, Kaine asked Hegseth to confirm if someone convicted of sexual assault could serve as Secretary of Defense. Hegseth reiterated that the claim against him was untrue and resulted from a consensual encounter, dismissing the question as theoretical.

During his time to speak, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) redirected the inquiries about alcohol use and infidelity towards the lawmakers themselves.

“How many senators have shown up intoxicated to vote at night? Have any of you requested they resign?” Mullin questioned.

“And how many senators do you know have [experienced] a divorce before infidelity? Did you call for their resignation? No, because it’s all for show.”