Pete Hegseth hearing live: protesters interrupt opening remarks; ranking Democrat says defense pick ‘not qualified’ | US politics
Protesters interrupt Hegseth's opening remarks
Pete Hegseth is making his opening statement, but has been repeatedly interrupted by protesters.
“To all the troops and veterans watching and here in the room, Navy Seals, Green Berets, soldiers, pilots, sailors, marines, gold stars and more, too many friends to name, officers, enlisted, black and white, young and old, men and women, all Americans, all warriors, this hearing is for you,” Hegseth said.
A few seconds later, a protester began shouting, but was quickly escorted out by police. It was not clear what the protester said.
Hegseth attempted to continue, but a second protester interrupted him.
“Let me just say this, the Capitol police are going to remove immediately individuals that are disrupting the hearing. I see a pattern attempted to be inflicted on the committee, and we’re simply not going to tolerate that,” committee chair Roger Wicker said.
Not long after, yet another protester began shouting. He was carried out by police.
A protester is carried out of the room by Capitol police. Photograph: Allison Robbert/AFP/Getty Images
Key events
Democratic ranking member says FBI report into Hegseth is 'insufficient'
The Democratic ranking member Jack Reed said the FBI’s report into Pete Hegseth’s background was “insufficient”, and wants to have it shared with all lawmakers on the armed services committee.
“You and I have both seen the FBI background investigation into Mr Hegseth, and I want to say for the record, I believe the investigation was insufficient. Frankly, there are still FBI obligations to talk to people they have not had access to,” Reed said.
However, the committee chair Roger Wicker said he planned to keep the report just to himself and Reed:
What I intend to do is follow the exact precedent that we’ve had for the last two hearings with regard to secretaries of defense, not only Secretary Austin, but Secretary Mattis, eight years ago, and that was for the chair and the ranking member to see the report, and so that is my intention as chair of this committee.
Hegseth says 'I'm not a perfect person', but attacks reports of misconduct as 'coordinated smear campaign'
Pete Hegseth is now taking questions from senators, beginning with Republican armed services committee chair Roger Wicker, who asked him to respond to reports of his personal misconduct.
Hegseth has been accused of sexual assault, which he denies. Reports have also emerged that he had a reputation for drinking excessively, cheated on his wives and mismanaged finances at two veterans-related charities.
While he acknowledged some personal flaws, Hegseth said the reports were false and intended to hurt him and Donald Trump.
“There was a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated in the media against us that was clear from moment one, and what we knew is that it wasn’t about me. Most of it was about President Donald Trump, who’s had to endure the very same thing for much longer amounts of time, and he endured it in incredibly strong ways,” Hegseth said.
He went to allege that people who could refute these stories were not quoted in the “leftwing media”:
From story after story in the media, leftwing media, we saw anonymous source after anonymous source based on second- or third-hand accounts. And time and time again, stories would come out, and people would reach out to me and say, you know, I’ve read, I’ve spoken to this reporter about who you really are, and I was willing to go on the record, but they didn’t print my quote. They didn’t print any of my quotes.
Or, I’ve worked with you for 10 years, or I was your accountant, or I was your chief operating officer, or I was your board member, or I was with you on 100 different tour stops for Concerned Veterans for America, no one called me. No one asked about your conduct on the record or off the record.
Instead, a small handful of anonymous sources were allowed to drive a smear campaign and agenda about me, because our left wing media in America today, sadly, doesn’t care about the truth. All they were out to do, Mr Chairman, was to destroy me.
Hegseth admitted some unspecified faults, but said he has changed:
I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real, and God forged me in ways that I know I’m prepared for, and I’m honored by the people standing and sitting behind me and look forward to leading this Pentagon on behalf of the war fighters.
Calling himself 'change agent', Hegseth says his combat experiences make him qualified to lead Pentagon
Pete Hegseth told senators that his combat experience overseas gave him the skills to lead the defense department.
“Now, it is true, and has been acknowledged, 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?” Hegseth asked.
“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.”
Hegseth continued:
My only special interest is the war fighter, deterring wars, and if called upon, winning wars by ensuring our warriors never enter a fair fight. We let them win and we bring them home. Like many of my generation, I’ve been there. I’ve led troops in combat. I’ve been on patrol for days. I’ve pulled a trigger down range, heard bullets whiz by, flexcuffed insurgents, called in close air support, led medevacs, dodged IEDs, pulled out dead bodies and knelt before a battlefield cross. This is not academic for me. This is my life. I led then, and I will lead now.
Protesters interrupt Hegseth's opening remarks
Pete Hegseth is making his opening statement, but has been repeatedly interrupted by protesters.
“To all the troops and veterans watching and here in the room, Navy Seals, Green Berets, soldiers, pilots, sailors, marines, gold stars and more, too many friends to name, officers, enlisted, black and white, young and old, men and women, all Americans, all warriors, this hearing is for you,” Hegseth said.
A few seconds later, a protester began shouting, but was quickly escorted out by police. It was not clear what the protester said.
Hegseth attempted to continue, but a second protester interrupted him.
“Let me just say this, the Capitol police are going to remove immediately individuals that are disrupting the hearing. I see a pattern attempted to be inflicted on the committee, and we’re simply not going to tolerate that,” committee chair Roger Wicker said.
Not long after, yet another protester began shouting. He was carried out by police.
A protester is carried out of the room by Capitol police. Photograph: Allison Robbert/AFP/Getty Images
Hegseth is being introduced by two supportive witnesses.
The first is Norm Coleman, a Republican former senator from Hegseth’s home state, Minnesota:
Pete was a brave soldier, has been an able communicator, and I believe is about to begin a great second act as our secretary of defense.
He has struggled and overcome great personal challenges. Please don’t give into the cynical notion that people can’t change. We need the ones who can change to lead us to be beacons of hope and to remind us that grace can lead us home.
Four years ago, President Biden’s nominee, Lloyd Austin, a good and honorable man, received 97 votes on the floor of the Senate, and we went through the debacle of the Afghanistan withdrawal. Putin invaded Ukraine. The Houthis endanger our shipping lanes. We witnessed Israeli miracles against America’s enemies in the Middle East, where the United States was more of an impediment than a help.
Our recruitment numbers have sunk dramatically, and our southern border has suffered a slow but dangerous invasion. Yes, Pete Hegseth is an out of the box nominee, and I say it’s high time to get out of the box.
The second is the Republican congressman Mike Waltz, who Trump nominated as his national security adviser:
This is a man who can reinvigorate that warrior ethos, and this is a man that will lead. I can’t imagine having a more capable partner in my position as national security adviser. Pete is a man of family, of faith, and he’s committed to making our country stronger again, and most importantly, brother, I know this in my core. He will always have as a first principle the service members that are out there on the frontlines for all of us, at the heart of every decision he makes.
So, senators, I urge you to support this confirmation. It is critical that President Trump has his national security team in place for the challenges ahead.
Reed took issue with Hegseth’s advocacy against diversity issues in the military, as well as his calls to pardon soldiers accused of war crimes.
A former army officer, Reed recounted how when he joined the military in 1970, it “was rife with racial tension”.
Today, “Our military is more diverse than it has ever been, but more importantly, it is more lethal than it has ever been,” Reed said.
He then said he would ask Hegseth to explain his opposition to issues to make the US armed forces more inclusive.
I hope you’ll explain why you believe such diversity is making the military weak, and how you propose to undo that without undermining military leadership and harming readiness, recruitment and retention.
Mr Hegseth, another reason I’m deeply concerned about your nomination is your disregard for the law of armed conflict and your support for service members who have been convicted of war crimes. You have championed the pardoning of military members who were turned in by their fellow soldiers and Seals, and let me emphasize that they weren’t discovered by reporters. They were turned in by fellow soldiers and fellow Seals, and also pardoning of military contractors convicted of killing 14 Iraqi citizens without course.
You have also advocated for the restitution of interrogation methods like waterboarding that have been defined as torture, and you have belittled the advice and counsel of judge advocates general while on deployment.
Ranking Democrat Jack Reed tells Hegseth 'I do not believe that you are qualified' for defense job
Now speaking is Jack Reed, the committee’s Democratic ranking member, who quickly told Pete Hegseth that he does not think he is qualified to serve as defense secretary.
“Mr Hegseth, I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job,” said Reed, who represents Rhode Island.
“We must acknowledge the concerning public reports against you. A variety of sources, including your own writings, implicate you with disregarding the 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 reviewed many of these allegations and find them extremely alarming. Indeed, the totality of your own writings and alleged conduct would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the secretary of defense.”
Wicker referred to the many allegations of misconduct made against Hegseth, saying they were “anonymous sources” that he did not find credible.
“Much has been made of both Mr Hegseth’s personal life and some of his policy pronouncements regarding his personal conduct. Mr Hegseth has admitted to falling short, as we all do from time to time,” Wicker said.
“It is noteworthy that the vast majority of the accusations leveled at Mr Hegseth have come from anonymous sources. Contrast these anonymous accusations with the many public letters of support and commendation we have seen letters from people who served with Mr Hegseth. These individuals have worked with him professionally. They really know him and his character. These patriotic Americans have been willing to put their names and reputations on the line to support Mr Hegseth. I look forward to sharing these testimonials with the American people.”
The Republican chair went on to acknowledge that Pete Hegseth is an “unconventional” choice to lead the Pentagon, but said he believed the nominee is the right one to turn around a defense department that is not prepared for today’s conflicts.
“Today’s department of defense is no longer prepared for great power competition. It is not a national defense institution ready to achieve and sustain technological supremacy across the range of operations,” Roger Wicker said.
“Admittedly, this nomination is unconventional. The nominee is unconventional, just like that New York developer who wrote down the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president. That may be what makes Mr Hegseth an excellent choice to improve this unacceptable status quo that I just described.”
The committee’s Republican chairman Roger Wicker politely told Pete Hegseth’s supporters in the audience – and anyone else – that they will not allow disruptions during their hearing.
“We had a very appropriate expression of approval by the members of the audience as our nominee and his family walked in. The distinguished ranking member and I sincerely hope that that is the last signal of approval or disapproval in today’s hearing,” said Wicker, who represents Mississippi.
As Pete Hegseth entered the hearing room, supporters in the audience began clapping and cheering.
Some chanted “USA! USA!” Hegseth shook hands with a few people in the crowd.
Senate committee to consider Pete Hegseth's nomination to lead Pentagon
The Senate armed services committee will soon begin its confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, the army national guard veteran and former Fox News host who Donald Trump has nominated to lead the defense department.
Since his nomination was announced, reports have emerged of Hegseth drinking excessively and engaging in marital infidelity. He also has faced an accusation of sexual misconduct, which he denies.
During the hearing, he will undoubtedly be asked about these reports, as well as whether he has the experience to lead the massive military bureaucracy.
