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Hegseth defends record in fiery confirmation hearing

President-elect Trump's pick for Defense secretary made his case before the Senate Armed Services Committee and refuted allegations of sexual assault and other accusations of improper behavior.

© AP

In opening remarks, Hegseth said he was "laser focused" on restoring lethality to the Defense Department.

"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," said Hegseth, who pitched himself as a "change agent" with no conflicts of interest.

Republicans largely lined up behind Hegseth, who appears to have survived the hearing without any major hiccups that could derail his nomination.

"The nominee is unconventional — just like that New York developer who rode down the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the committee. “That may be what makes Mr. Hegseth an excellent choice.”

But Democrats spent much of the hearing raising concerns about various allegations against Hegseth, from financial mismanagement of two veterans groups he once led to a 2017 sexual assault allegation and excessive drinking in the workplace.

“Secretary of Defense demands a leader of unparalleled experience, wisdom and, above all else, character,” said ranking member Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.). “I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job.”

Hegseth refuted each of the allegations against him as a smear campaign from the media.

The former Fox News personality and Army National Guard veteran also came under fire from Democrats about his personal views, including banning women from serving in combat roles.

Hegseth said he would not prohibit women from serving in combat roles but would ensure that high standards are met for the positions.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) told Hegseth his comments were "brutal" and "mean," while Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) slammed him for reversing position on the issue only after his nomination.

“Now I’ve heard of deathbed conversions, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a nomination conversion,” said Warren.

Democrats also said Hegseth lacked relevant experience to lead the Pentagon, one of the largest organizations in the world with some 3 million troops and civilian members.

“Do you think that the way to raise the minimum standards of the people who serve us is to lower the standards for the secretary of Defense?" said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.).

But even those concerns were batted away by Republicans, who spent much of the hearing defending the nominee from the Democratic attacks.

“It seems to me that you’ve supervised far more people than the average United States senator,” Wicker told Hegseth.

Hegseth can afford to lose three GOP votes if every Democratic and Independent senator votes against him.

Hegseth has come under mounting allegations since his nomination was announced by Trump around mid-November and spent days on Capitol Hill meeting with GOP senators to shore up support.

His nomination appeared to be sinking in late November, but Hegseth, with the support of Trump and his allies, was able to turn it around by the holidays.

On Tuesday, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who was among the most concerned in the GOP about Hegseth, raised no serious objections and said she had "productive" conversations with him.

Hegseth had crowds of supporters show up to the hearing to back him, including Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla), Trump's pick for national security adviser. Walz lauded Hegseth's sense of duty and character as "traits that President Trump recognized when making the decision to nominate Pete for this critical role."

Read more on the hearing at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.

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