Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin explains why she voted against Hegseth’s confirmation

(WASHINGTON) — As President-elect Donald Trump’s comments tanking House Speaker Mike Johnson’s short-term government funding bill sent House Republicans into a tailspin Wednesday night, Senate Republicans were left to try to make sense of the remaining pieces.

Congress must act to fund the government by midnight on Friday or risk a shutdown. With the House back at the drawing board, the clock is ticking.

The nature of government funding bills means that the Senate is usually in a wait-and-see posture until the House acts. That’s particularly true this time around, where Johnson has to wrangle his slim House majority into passing legislation that Trump will find palatable before the Senate decides whether they can accept it.

The looming funding deadline means that the Senate will in all likelihood be forced to stomach whatever Johnson manages to pass through the House unless it is so unacceptable that Senators are willing to shut the government down over it. Democrats still run the Senate for a few more days, and the 60-vote threshold in the Senate makes compromise essential.

During late votes Wednesday night, Senate Republicans weighed in on the current government funding situation with a little more than 48 hours until a shutdown.

Many say they weren’t happy with Johnson’s original proposal

Despite the challenges now facing Congress to finish up work on government funding, there are a number of Senate Republicans who concede they weren’t happy with the House proposal that Johnson put forward on Tuesday. Some are pleased that Trump got involved to encourage changes.

“This is supposed to be a CR that extends the status quo. And it’s supposed to be lean and mean,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-LA said. “Well, I mean, it may have been mean, but it wasn’t lean. And what I think we’re going to have to do to get it passed is go back to a real CR, which is just an extension of the status quo.”

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-SD, said all of the “crap” that was attached to the House CR was “very very disappointing to me.”

He signaled a willingness to support a clean CR with disaster relief.

There appears to be some eagerness to re-open discussion about a path forward, but the time is running out, and there are now a number of very thorny issues that will require a lot of negotiation with very little time.

Southern State Republicans draw the line at disaster relief

As House Republicans go back to the drawing board to try to satiate Trump’s demands, it’s clear they’ll have to balance them against all-out insistence from many Senate Republicans that billions in disaster relief remain tacked to this bill.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, whose home state of South Carolina was deeply impacted by Hurricane Helene, said he will vote against a funding bill that doesn’t include relief for his and other affected states.

He called it a “moral imperative to get money into the system.”

“We’ve got to have the disaster relief. I can’t go home and play like it didn’t happen,” Graham said. “To anybody who thinks that disaster relief is pork, come to where I live and see what happened in my state in North Carolina and Georgia.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, whose home state was affected by both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, said he’d do everything in his power to slow down the passage of any government funding bill that doesn’t include funding for relief.

“I feel very strongly. [If] we don’t get disaster in the bill I’ll do everything to keep us there until we do,” Tillis said.

Tillis said he spoke with VP-Elect Vance Wednesday and said Vance “gets” the importance of disaster aid.

“JD gets it. I spoke with him this afternoon. He understands the need to get disaster follow-up in there,” Tillis said. “Most people, at least JD and others, believe that we have to do the disaster supplement.”

Republicans open to debt limit hike, but skeptical about accomplishing it on this timeline

Trump complicated government funding matters significantly with an eleventh-hour push to include a hike to the federal debt limit in this package. It has left some Republicans unclear on a path forward.

“I don’t think he’s wrong,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-LA, said when asked if Trump’s debt limit proposal was helpful. “But it complicates the matter.”

That’s an understatement.

Debt limit negotiations have in prior years taken months upon months to carefully weave together. A number of Senate Republicans conceded tonight that while they’d support raising the debt limit in this bill, getting to yes on it in the tiny window of time left will be a real challenge.

“I don’t know how we do that,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-SD, said. “I mean, I’m open to ideas on it but I don’t know how we do that.”

Graham said he’d leave decisions about the debt limit to Trump but conceded that Democratic buy-in would be necessary to do it.

“I don’t know how this plays into things. I do know this, we don’t want to default. There are a lot of Republicans who will never vote to raise the debt ceiling for ideological reasons,” Graham said.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, acknowledged that getting all Republicans on board a debt limit hike would be a challenge.

“I don’t know if Republicans are going to vote for that, particularly the Freedom Caucus, so I guess we’ll take it one step at a time,” Cornyn said.

Tillis also acknowledged that Democrats would have to buy into a plan to hike the debt limit. And with the deadline to do so still months off, he said he was unsure what would inspire Democrats to participate in eleventh-hour negotiations on the issue.

“I just think there’s got to be something more to it than a demand that it get in, because again there’s no burning platform,” Tillis said.

Calls with Trump

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, said he spoke to Trump just before he issued his original statement today that discouraged Republicans from supporting the short-term government bill put forward by Johnson.

Hawley said that Trump thought Speaker Johnson’s CR was a “total disaster.”

Hawley criticized Johnson for what he said was “clearly” not reading Trump into the negotiation process of the bill.

“I made this point to him, to the president that is, about the House Leadership. I mean, is this going to be the norm? Is this how we’re going to operate? They’re going — is this going to be the standard that we are setting?”

ABC News asked Hawley if Trump expressed frustration with Johnson specifically, and Hawley said “yes.”

But that was refuted by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-OK.

“I have spoken to the president several times today. I would not classify, I would not classify it as being frustrated with the Speaker,” Mullin said.

Mullin said that it was articulated to Johnson for “awhile” that Trump wanted a debt limit hike.

“He does want the debt limit included in whatever package they put forth, but he’s as far as being upset, I absolutely do not agree with that.

The Musk factor

Senators seemed to downplay the significance of Elon Musk’s influence on the current situation. Musk took to his social media platform X to repeatedly slam the Johnson-backed bill on Wednesday.

“I think there are people putting too much weight on Musk or anybody else opining. I think there were structural challenges to begin with,” Tillis said. “These outside influences have an impact, but I think that that came from within not from without. I’ve seen some of the reports about how Elon basically vetoed it. I’m sure his voice weighed in, but it had, it clearly had a structural problem before anybody opined on it.”

Hawley, when asked about Musk’s weighing in, seemed to push concerns aside.

“As somebody who doesn’t like the CR, I welcome the criticism,” Hawley said.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled pick for defense secretary, faced senators on Tuesday for a contentious confirmation hearing.

Hegseth was grilled by members of the Armed Services Committee on allegations of misconduct and sexual impropriety he’s denied — as well as his position on military policy issues, including women in combat and diversity goals.

Hearing wraps after 4.5 hours

The Armed Services Committee gaveled out at 1:45 p.m., after hours of questions posed to Hegseth.

The hearing largely centered on allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement that Hegseth’s faced. Hegseth has denied those accusations, bemoaning them as a “coordinated smear campaign.”

Senators also debated Hegseth’s qualifications and whether he is experienced enough to lead an agency as large as the Department of Defense.

Relatively little time was spent discussing foreign policy or Trump’s military objectives in a second term.

Hegseth pressed on if he would carry out a potentially illegal order

Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan asked Hegseth multiple times if he would push back should he ever be asked to carry out an illegal order as defense secretary.

“I reject the premise that President Trump is going to be giving illegal order,” Hegseth said.

Mark Kelly grills Hegseth on allegations of public intoxication

Sen. Mark Kelly brought up specific allegations of public intoxication made against Hegseth during his time at a veterans nonprofit.

The Arizona Democrat and veteran asked Hegseth to respond “true or false” to the allegations, which included having to be carried out from functions drunk.

Hegseth responded repeatedly only by calling them “anonymous smears.”

Kelly concluded his time by accusing Hegseth of misleading the committee and the country about his self-proclaimed personal challenges.

“It’s hard to square this circle,” Kelly said. “Which is it? Have you overcome personal issues or are you the target of a smear campaign? It can’t be both. It’s clear to me that you’re not being honest with us or the American people because you know the truth would be disqualifying for the job.”

Republican Schmitt argues Americans are ‘tired of woke ideology’

Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, argued Americans are “tired of woke ideology” as he questioned Hegseth on DEI programs and other military policy initiatives.

Schmitt also had a message for Democrats: “If you haven’t picked up on that, you missed the plot, because that’s what Nov. 5 partially was about.”

Schmitt praised Hegseth as a “disrupter” of the ilk that Americans who voted for Trump want in Washington.

Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran, displays copy of Soldier’s Creed

Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a former helicopter pilot who lost both of her legs when her aircraft was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade, also criticized Hegseth as unqualified for the job.

As she spoke, she displayed a copy of the U.S. Army Soldier’s Creed behind her and recited some of it out loud.

“Every single day that I woke up and fought my way back because I wanted to go back and serve next to my buddies who saved my life, this same copy, these words, I repeated over and over and over again,” she said.

“Mr. Hegseth, our troops follow these words every single day and they man up and they pack their rucksacks and they go to war and they deserve a leader who can lead them,” Duckworth added.

Mullin blasts Democrats over alleged ‘hypocrisy’

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., took aim at Senate Democrats, claiming hypocrisy over their attacks on Hegseth.

“You guys aren’t any more qualified to be the senator than I’m qualified to be,” he said.

Mullin took shots, even asking, “How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night? How many senators do you know have got a divorce before cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down?”

“You guys make sure you make a big show and point out the hypocrisy because a man’s made a mistake and you want to sit there and say that he’s not qualified,” said Mullin, who claimed his wife had to forgive him “more than once.”

Democrat Gary Peters says he’s not ‘convinced’ Hegseth can manage Pentagon

Michigan Democrat Gary Peters called out Hegseth’s lack of management experience as a potential problem for an agency the size of the Pentagon.

“You have not convinced me that you are able to take on this tremendous responsibility with this complex organization with little or no management experience,” Peters said.

After his remarks, Republican chairman Roger Wicker briefly chimed in.

“You’ve managed more people than the average United States senator,” Wicker told Hegseth. The remark prompted some laughter among attendees.

Several Democrats say Hegseth ignored requests for meetings

Several Democratic senators have said Hegseth did not respond to their requests for one-on-one meetings ahead of Tuesday’s hearings.

Hegseth spent a notable amount of time on Capitol Hill since his nomination as he looked to shore up support amid the allegations of misconduct.

“I was ready,” Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, told Hegseth as he asked him if he was “afraid” to meet with some of his colleagues.

Tuberville praises Hegseth

Sen. Tommy Tuberville spent most of his questioning praising Hegseth.

The Alabama Republican and former Auburn University football coach made an analogy to football to the confirmation process.

“I came from a team sport where you were the people, the players actually won the games. And that’s what’s going to happen here. You’re not going to win the game now. You’re going to set the precedent,” he said.

Tuberville continued the Republican questioning about the “woke” military and Hegseth again committed to focusing on leadership that focused on military values.

‘I’ve dedicated my life to the warfighters,’ Hegseth says on what drives him

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott asked Hegseth why he wanted the job and what drives him.

Hegseth took a few seconds to collect his thoughts and responded that he loved his country and was “dedicated my life to the warfighters.”

“People that really know me know where my heart’s at. It’s with the guys in this audience who’ve had my back, and I’ve had theirs,” he said.

Senator tries to pin down Hegseth’s view on the Geneva Conventions

Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine pressed Hegseth several times on whether he would abide by the Geneva Conventions, a 1949 set of agreements regulating the use of force during wartime that forbids torture.

Hegseth argued the applications of the Geneva Conventions are “incredibly important” but that the rules of engagement have changed for troops since then.

“The Geneva Conventions are what we base our — but what an “American First” national security policy is not going to do is hand its prerogatives over to international bodies that make decisions about how our men and women make decisions on the battlefield,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth defends controversial tattoo

Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer began his questioning by praising Hegseth’s vocal devotion to Christianity.

He stayed on topic and asked Hegseth to explain why he says he was not allowed to serve with the National Guard during the 2020 Biden inauguration. Hegseth claims that it was because of his tattoo of the Jerusalem Cross on his chest, which has been linked to white nationalists.

Hegseth claimed it was a “historic Christian symbol,” and denied he was an “extremist.”

However, the National Guardsman who in 2021 pegged him as a potential “insider threat” clarified in an interview with ABC News in November that his complaint targeted a “Deus Vult” tattoo on his forearm. The term is used by far-right militants.

Sgt. DeRicko Gaither told ABC News “this wasn’t then and isn’t now a personal attack towards Pete Hegseth.”

“The protocol was followed and would be followed again if this issue involved any other service member, myself included,” he said.

Hegseth did not mention his arm tattoo during his questioning.

Hegseth and Democrat Kaine have contentious exchange on sexual misconduct allegations

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine tore into Hegseth over the sexual assault and misconduct allegations made against him, which Hegseth has denied.

The contentious back-and-forth saw Kaine ask Hegseth if he would respect his oath as defense secretary the same as he did for his marriages.

“I have failed in things in my life, and thankfully I’m redeemed by my Lord and Savior, Jesus,” Hegseth said.

Kaine also pushed back on Hegseth’s claim that the allegations were all from anonymous sources.

“We have seen records with names attached to all of these, including the name of your own mother,” Kaine said.

Hegseth’s mother, Penelope, has defended her son since his nomination but had previously sent an email to him amid his divorce in 2018 in which she wrote that he was an “abuser of women.” The New York Times first reported the email.

Hegseth commits to ‘get woke out of the military’

Alsaka Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan questioned Hegseth and brought up his concerns and criticism of the Biden administration over what he called “woke” issues such as climate change research and investigating racism in the armed services.

He asked Hegseth if that would be the military’s priority under his command.

“My secretary of the Navy, should I be confirmed, sir, will not be focused on climate change,” Hegseth said with a big grin. “Just like the secretary of the Air Force won’t be focused on LG-powered fighter jets. or the secretary of the Army will not be focused on electric-powered tanks.”

“I say we’re going to be focused on lethality, defeating our enemy,” Hegseth added.

Hegseth on whether he would use military to seize Panama Canal, Greenland

Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono pressed Hegseth if he would use the military to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.

President-elect Trump notably did not rule out such a scenario at a news conference last week.

“One of the things that President Trump is so good at is never strategically tipping his hand,” Hegseth said. “And so I would never in this public forum give one way or another what orders the president would give me in any context.”

Hegseth questioned about sexual assault allegations, alcohol use

Hegseth came under fire when questioned by Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono about his past allegations of sexual assault, and alcohol use.

Hegseth pushed back against Hirono about the sexual assault allegation made by a woman in October 2017 claiming “it was fully investigated and I was completely cleared.”

The police did file a report about the incident but while no charges were filed it also did not state he was “cleared.” Hegseth later entered a confidential settlement with the woman in 2020.

“As secretary, you will be in charge of maintaining good order and discipline by enforcing the Uniform Code of Military Justice, UCMJ. In addition to the sexual assault allegations. By the way, the answer to my second question should have been yes,” the senator said.

Ernst, a veteran herself, presses him on women in combat view

Ernst mentioned her own military experience as she questioned Hegseth, saying she was denied an opportunity to serve in a combat role because she had gray hair but standards have since changed.

“Will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles?” she asked, stressing she believed they needed to meet standards set out by the military.

“My answer is yes, exactly the way you caveated it,” Hegseth responded.

Ernst, a sexual assault victim, also asked Hegseth if he would commit to having a senior-level military official dedicated to sexual assault response and prevention, to which he responded yes.

Ernst says she ‘had frank conversations’ with Hegseth

Sen. Joni Ernst, a closely-watched GOP vote, began her questioning by talking about her “frank conversations” with Hegseth during her meetings last month.

The Iowa Republican said she had some concerns about wasteful spending but also women in the military and sexual assault allegations in the military.

“I do appreciate you sitting down and allowing me the opportunity to question you thoroughly on those issues that are of great importance to me,” she said.

“I think previous secretaries of Defense, with all due respect, haven’t necessarily emphasized the strategic prerogative of an audit,” Ernst said.

Hegseth said an audit would be his priority.

Gillibrand grills Hegseth on his claims about quotas

Hegseth has claimed military readiness has been eroded due to “quotas” on racial or gender diversity.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, heatedly pushed back.

“Commanders do not have to have a quota for women in the infantry. That does not exist,” she said. “It does not exist.”

“Everything you’ve said in these public statements is politics,” she continued. “I don’t want women. I don’t want moms. What’s wrong with a mom?”

Hegseth defends comments about women in combat

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen grilled Hegseth on his past comments about women serving in the military, including his previous comments that women should not serve in some combat roles.

“Senator, I would like to clarify, when I’m talking about that issue, it’s not about the capabilities of men and women, it’s about standards,” Hegseth said. “And this committee has talked a lot about standards, standards that we unfortunately, over time, have seen eroded in certain duty positions, certain schools, certain places, which affects readiness, which is what I care about the most, readiness.”

During the exchange, Shaheen asked Hegseth for his message to the almost 400,000 women serving today who she said now may wonder whether they can rise to the highest ranks of the military.

“I would say I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside you, shoulder to shoulder, men and women, Black, white, all backgrounds with a shared purpose,” Hegseth said. “Our differences are not what define us. Our unity and our shared purpose is what define us. And you will be treated fairly and with dignity, honor and respect, just like every man and woman in uniform.”

After a tense back and forth, Shaheen said to Hegseth: “I appreciate your eleventh-hour conversion.”

Hegseth says US has to modernize nuclear arsenal

Sen. Deb Fischer, a Nebraska Republican, questioned Hegseth about investing in the United States nuclear arsenal and whether he agreed with Trump’s posture during his first administration — that preventing attacks from adversaries was the “highest priority.”

“Yes, I do, because ultimately, our deterrence, our survival is reliant upon the capability, the perception and the reality of the capability of our nuclear triad,” Hegseth responded. “We have to invest in its modernization for the defense of our nation.”

Hegseth rails against media when asked to respond to allegations

Committee chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in the first question of the hearing, asked Hegseth to respond to the allegations against him.

“Let’s get into this allegation about sexual assault, inappropriate workplace behavior, alcohol abuse and financial mismanagement during your time as a nonprofit executive,” Wicker said.

Hegseth, who has denied the accusations, railed against what he claimed was a “coordinated smear campaign” by the news media.
“All they were out to do, Mr. Chairman, was to destroy me,” Hegseth said. “And why do they want to destroy me? Because I’m a change agent and a threat to them. Because Donald Trump was willing to choose me, to empower me to bring the Defense Department back to what it really should be, which is war fighting.”

Hegseth then turned personal, saying he’s not “perfect” but is now ready to lead the Pentagon.

“I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real,” he said. “And God forged me in ways that I know I’m prepared for.”

Hegseth opening statement interrupted by outbursts

Hegseth is now speaking for the first time before the committee.

His opening statement is being interrupted by hecklers, who were then escorted out of the room.

Chairman Roger Wicker thanked authorities for their “swift reaction” to the first incident.

“Let me just say this, the Capitol Police are going to remove immediately individuals who are interrupting the hearing,” Wicker said.

Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, endorses Hegseth

Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, introduced and endorsed Hegseth.

Waltz was recognized by Sen. Roger Wicker, the chairman of the committee, who noted Waltz was still a member of Congress for several more days.

“He will bring the perspective of being the first secretary of defense to have served as a junior officer on the front lines, not in the headquarters on the front lines in the War on Terror, and recognizes the human costs, the financial costs and the policy drift that was discussed often in this very room that led us to decades and decades of war,” Waltz said of Hegseth.

Waltz is also a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran.

Charged scene inside the room as confirmation hearing begins

Dozens of veterans — some wearing service badges — filled the hearing room in the Dirksen Building in support of Hegseth, wearing pins with the nominee’s name. A number of them are wearing black baseball caps with the nominee’s name and the bone frog logo associated with the Navy SEALs.

Spotted in the crowd were Sean Parnell, a former Army Ranger and conservative media personality, and Tim Kennedy, an ex-UFC fighter and former Green Beret.

The group, which was buzzing with excitement ahead of the hearing, appeared to cheer for Hegseth and shout “USA!” as the hearing got underway.

There are also a small group of Code Pink antiwar protestors in the room, with signs reading “No Hegseth No Crusade” and “No Hegseth No Christian Jihad.”

ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel, Lauren Peller, Arthur Jones and Olivia Rubin

Panel’s top Democrat to say Hegseth is not qualified for the job

Sen. Jack Reed will tell Hegseth in no uncertain terms that he does not believe he is qualified for the job of Secretary of Defense.

“I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job,” Reed will say, according to his opening statement.

Reed will also address the allegations against Hegseth, which Hegseth has denied.

“We must acknowledge the concerning public reports against you. A variety of sources — including your own writings — implicate you with disregarding laws of war, financial mismanagement, racist and sexist remarks about men and women in uniform, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other troubling issues. I have reviewed many of these allegations, and find them extremely alarming,” Reed will say.

He also alleges that Hegseth’s comments suggest he will politicize the military.

“Indeed, the challenge of the Secretary of Defense is to remove partisan politics from the military. You propose to inject it. This would be an insult to the men and women who have sworn to uphold their own apolitical duty to the Constitution,” the statement says.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

FBI didn’t interview woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault in 2017

The FBI’s probe of Hegseth did not include an interview with a woman who accused him of sexual assault years ago, sources familiar with the situation told ABC News.

Top senators on the Armed Services Committee were briefed on the FBI’s background investigation last week but sources said investigators did not speak to the accuser. The circumstances around the lack of an interview with the woman are unclear.

A police report stated that a woman, identified only as Jane Doe, told investigators in 2017 she had encountered Hegseth at an event afterparty at a California hotel where both had been drinking and claimed that he sexually assaulted her. Hegseth had told authorities that the encounter was consensual.

No charges were filed, although Hegseth subsequently paid the woman as part of a settlement agreement, which Hegseth’s attorney said was only because he feared his career would suffer if her allegations were made public.

Read more about the police report and alleged altercation here.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders and Luke Barr

Trump reiterates support for Hegseth

In a post on his social media platform, Trump wrote Hegseth will make a GREAT Secretary of Defense.

“He has my Complete and Total support. Good luck today, Pete!” Trump wrote.

Plus, Trump senior adviser Jason Miller did a morning show blitz praising Hegseth.

“I think Pete Hegseth is going to kill them with kindness,” Miller said on CNN, previewing Hegseth’s strategy ahead of the hearing.

On Fox News, Miller said he believed Hegseth was the war hero the United States needs and highlighted support from veterans for his nomination.

“I don’t see it so much of a challenge. I think it’s an opportunity to talk about restoring that warrior ethos, that warrior spirit, back into the military,” Miller said as he avoided any concerns of Hegseth’s past.

-ABC News Oren Oppenheim and Kelsey Walsh

Hegseth to pitch himself as ‘change agent’

In his opening statement, obtained by ABC News, Hegseth does not mention the allegations against him but vows to be a “change agent” and bring a “warrior culture” back to the Defense Department.

“I want to thank President Trump for his faith in me, and his selfless leadership of our great Republic,” Hegseth will say, according to the prepared remarks. “The troops could have no better Commander-in-Chief than Donald Trump.”

“He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness,” Hegseth will say. “That’s it. That is my job.”

Hegseth will go on to address his lack of experience compared to previous Pentagon chiefs.

“It is true that I don’t have a similar biography to Defense Secretaries of the last 30 years. But, as President Trump also told me, we’ve repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly ‘the right credentials’ — whether they are retired generals, academics, or defense contractor executives — and where has it gotten us? He believes, and I humbly agree, that it’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent. Someone with no vested interest in certain companies or specific programs or approved narratives,” the prepared statement reads.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott

How Hegseth could overhaul the military

Hegseth, if confirmed, would be in charge of a massive organization of more than 1 million active-duty service members and nearly 1 million civilian workers.

Hegseth has previously discussed going after alleged “wokeness” in the military by firing certain generals, taking aim at DEI initiatives and other programs. He’s also said he is generally against women serving in certain combat roles unless they pass high standards men do.

Read more about the police report and alleged altercation here.

Hegseth’s rocky nomination

Hegseth, a former Fox News host who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and the National Guard, was nominated by Trump in mid-November.

He quickly faced scrutiny from some lawmakers over his lack of management experience. Then came reports of alleged sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement, which he’s denied.

At one point, ABC News reported Trump was looking at possible replacements to Hegseth.

But Hegseth’s spent many days on Capitol Hill looking to shore up support, vowing to fight and telling lawmakers he’s a “changed man.” It appeared he was gaining some Republican support back after his one-on-one meetings with lawmakers, and Trump has since doubled down on his support for his Pentagon pick.

Still, the Senate panel that will question him on Tuesday had quietly sought additional information on some of the allegations before the hearing.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — President-elect Donald Trump has shown no qualms about making or sticking by picks for his Cabinet no matter the baggage they carry — even some accused of sexual assault.

It’s a far cry from the days when much smaller-scale scandals, such as marijuana use or hiring an undocumented worker as a nanny, sunk candidates put forward by Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, experts said.

“We’re in untested waters,” Jonathan Hanson, a political scientist and lecturer in statistics at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, told ABC News.

Hanson and other experts said the public has become less concerned about some indiscretions, such as minor and one-time drug and alcohol arrests. Ronald Reagan’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Douglas Ginsburg admitting to smoking pot when he was younger would never have gotten much negative blowback today, Hanson said.

Two of Bill Clinton’s picks for attorney general — Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood — both withdrew amid questions over their hiring immigrants in the country illegally as babysitters. Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle — Clinton’s choice for health and human services secretary — had to bow out after it was revealed he didn’t pay taxes for the use of a car and driver.

“It’s true that people’s standards have shifted, but the question is, when does it really cross a line?” Hanson said.

Trump’s picks bring the debate to a new level, he argued.

Trump himself campaigned in the shadow of his hush money felony criminal conviction and after a Manhattan civil jury found him liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations in both cases.

Matt Gaetz was already a controversial figure before his nomination while under a House Ethics Committee investigation for alleged sexual abuse and illicit drug use.

The former Florida congressman has denied all the allegations and the investigations by the Justice Department ended with no charges being brought and the House Ethics Committee ended when Gaetz resigned from his seat.

Trump’s pick to head the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, paid a woman who alleged he had sexually assaulted her in 2017, an accusation he denied and for which he was not charged.

The New York Times published an email Friday that Hegseth’s mother, Penelope Hegseth, sent him in 2018 in the context of his divorce from his second wife, saying he had routinely mistreated women for years.

“I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego,” she wrote in the message, according to the Times.

She said she later apologized and told the paper that she sent the e-mail in anger, adding “I know my son. He is a good father, husband.”

The New Yorker reported Hegseth was allegedly forced to step down from two non-profits veterans’ groups that he ran due to “serious allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety, and personal misconduct.” The magazine cited “a trail of documents, corroborated by the accounts of former colleagues.”

ABC News has not independently confirmed The New Yorker or The New York Times reporting.

Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Hegseth, called the New Yorker piece, “outlandish claims laundered …by a petty and jealous disgruntled former associate,” in a response to the magazine.

Jason Miller, a senior Trump adviser, told CNN on Tuesday that the allegations in The New Yorker about Hegseth are “innuendo and gossip,” and said the Trump transition has no concerns about his pick to lead the Department of Defense.

Hegseth has said the sex assault allegation from 2017 was “fully investigated” and that he was “completely cleared” although a police report did not say that. He has avoided talking about the allegations while he met with Republican lawmakers over the last couple of weeks to garner support.

Hanson notes Trump named Gaetz and Hegseth after a majority of voters sent him back to the White House despite his own criminal indictments, including attempting to overturn the 2020 election. The sentencing for Trump’s New York conviction has been postponed indefinitely while the federal cases have been dismissed.

That, along with the Republicans taking control of Congress, Hanson said, might have motivated Trump to push forward with his controversial picks.

“It does raise the question if we are holding people to different standards than we used to,” he said. “There has been this notion to shrug it all off, thinking, ‘Everyone is corrupt. At least he’s open about it.'”

Edward Queen, a faculty member at Emory University Center for Ethics, said this thinking has been linked to what he said is growing distrust in the American political system.

“One of the consequences of the decline of trust is that everyone has done ‘it’ therefore ‘it’ doesn’t matter. And that’s disturbing,” he told ABC News.

At the same time, Hanson said, history shows the public traditionally has been against corruption, cronyism and other questionable behavior by public officials.

“There are voters in the middle who voted for Trump that would be unhappy for a vote for these troubling nominees,” Hanson said. “That will come back to hurt Republicans who may have ridden on his momentum.”

Jeff Spinner-Halev, the Kenan Eminent Professor of Political Ethics at the University of North Carolina, however, told ABC News that the general public has not kept up with the ins and outs of the confirmation process on Capitol Hill, and the outcry may not be that loud.

“It will have limited influence,” he said of the public reaction. “What will matter if a few senators are concerned about the controversies or competency of the candidate verses how much they care about the wrath of President Trump.”

The Senate must confirm each Cabinet choice, and while the GOP will have the majority, some Senate Republicans who back Trump also question whether his picks’ ethical issues make them impossible to approve, according to Hanson.

“Putting my shoes in a senator’s for a moment, they don’t want to walk the plank for a vote,” Hanson added. “If they feel that a nominee is too unpopular, they don’t want to stick their hand in the air and say ‘yes’ — but if they do, he said, they would need to weigh the consequences of looking the other way.”

He sees the fact that some GOP senators signaled Gaetz wasn’t acceptable as proof some standards still exist. For example, Gaetz withdrew his name from the nomination eight days after Trump announced it due to the increased scrutiny and more details about his scandals came to light.

Gaetz said in a social media post that his nomination process would have been “a distraction.”

“No one was really looking to defend this guy, and the message got sent to the president-elect’s team that this isn’t going to work,” Hanson said.

“I do think it is a positive sign because, at some point, lines were crossed. Some candidates are just a bridge too far, and it may be the case with some of the other appointees,” he added.

Steven Cheung, Trump’s choice for White House communications director and campaign spokesman, reiterated his claim that “voters gave President Trump a mandate to choose Cabinet nominees that reflect the will of the American people and he will continue to do so.”

“President Trump appreciates the advice and consent of Senators on Capitol Hill, but ultimately this is his administration,” he said in a statement after Gaetz withdrew.

Hanson predicted there will continue to be increased scrutiny of Trump’s Cabinet picks as Senate confirmation hearings get closer, but he warned that the opposition might have limits.

“It depends on how much fight will come from Democrats and interest groups that engage with politics. It will be interesting to see what happens because there is plenty of opportunity here for Democrats in the Senate to make a lot of noise,” he said.

“We will also be in a situation where there may be only enough clout and power to fight only the most controversial of nominees and let others pass,” he said.

Spinner-Halev said that Republican senators, in particular, may not want to cross Trump too many times and may just limit their opposition to his picks with the most baggage.

“One of the worries the Republicans will have is if a person [who is nominated] is incompetent,” he said. “The danger for the Trump administration and Republicans general is if these people are incompetent and mess up and then the public notices. This is what happened with George W. Bush and [Hurricane] Katrina where he said [FEMA Director Michael Brown] was doing a ‘heck of a job.’ That hurt him badly.”

Queen said there is a possibility that some Republican senators may put ethics before partisanship when all is said and done.

“It’s not unreasonable to assume that there are a number of senators who realize there will be consequences of their choices and their decisions that it will be bad for the country as a whole,” he said.

In the long term, Hanson said it is unclear if Trump’s selections will usher in a new norm of presidential picks who buck ethics and experience standards.

He noted that American history has shown several cycles of reform brought on by demand of a public frustrated with dysfunction and improper behavior, such as in the aftermath of the Nixon administration in the 1970s.

“Now that they see what is happening, they may be reminded what the Trump presidency was like the first time around,” he said of Americans who supported him. “There may be a bunch of people who say this is not what I voted for, and that could affect things tremendously.”

Spinner-Halev said the future will depend on how informed the public is over the next four years.

“There is a lot that happens in Washington that’s not in the public eye, and I think it’s important that the public keeps an eye on the bureaucratic ongoings,” he said.

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