Pete Hegseth’s four-hour hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday was strikingly contentious. Democrats derided him as unqualified to oversee the Defense Department’s three million employees and $849 billion budget. Republicans acknowledged that he was an unconventional pick, but suggested that might be just what the Pentagon needs. And Senator Joni Ernst, the Iowa Republican who is an influential member of the panel, said after the hearing that she had been won over.
Here are four takeaways from the hearing:
Hegseth looks as if he has the votes to get out of committee.
Despite all the fireworks at the proceeding, it seems that Mr. Hegseth has the votes he needs to move on. None of his answers seemed to disturb the Republicans who control the committee.
A vote has been scheduled for Monday after President-elect Donald J. Trump is sworn in and Mr. Hegseth’s nomination is expected to become official.
Less than six weeks ago, Ms. Ernst, a veteran with a reputation for being a principled leader on matters of sexual assault and the military, had voiced reservations about Mr. Hegseth.
But Mr. Trump’s hard-line backers paid for ads in Ms. Ernst’s home state, questioned her Republican bona fides on social media and even threatened to run primary challenges against her in 2026 to push her toward backing Mr. Hegseth as the nominee.
Several hours after the hearing ended, she announced her support for him on WHO Newsradio 1040, a radio station in Des Moines.
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Her questioning of Mr. Hegseth during the session was friendly. She pressed him repeatedly on the importance of auditing the Pentagon — a relatively safe topic. She also encouraged him to repeat promises she has said he had made to her privately about appointing a senior officer to strengthen her past work to prevent sexual assault and rape in the military.
Her support suggests that, barring new developments, Mr. Hegseth is now on a path to winning confirmation by the full Senate. Ms. Ernst was considered a key vote who could sway other Republicans. With her on board, his prospects of success have grown.
Hegseth portrayed his life as a redemption story.
Mr. Hegseth repeatedly refused to say whether an accusation of sexual assault or excessive drinking or marital infidelity should disqualify someone from leading the Pentagon. He also did not promise that he’d resign if he were to break his promise not to drink if confirmed.
In general, he skirted specific allegations about his personal conduct, simply claiming that he had been the victim of false allegations by anonymous sources, circulated by media organizations he said were determined to destroy him.
“I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real.” he said at one point. He also said, “I have failed in things in my life, and thankfully I’m redeemed by my lord and savior Jesus.”
The one senator who seemed to get under his skin was Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia. Mr. Kaine pressed him about the allegation that he raped a woman in 2017 in Monterey, Calif., while he was married to his second wife and two months after his girlfriend, now his third wife, had given birth to his child.
The episode resulted in no criminal charges. Mr. Hegseth, who said the encounter was consensual, paid the woman an undisclosed amount in a settlement.
“So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime?” Mr. Kaine demanded. “How do you explain your judgment?”
He faced fierce queries about his views on women in combat.
Some of the toughest questioning was over Mr. Hegseth’s previous statements that women should not serve in combat roles. Democratic senators accused him of modulating those views purely in hopes of winning a cabinet post.
Mr. Hegseth said: “Yes, women will have access to ground combat roles, given the standards remain high, and we will have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded.”
Female Democrats in particular assailed him over his earlier comments. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York sounded especially angry, saying his statements were “brutal and they’re mean and they disrespect men and women who are willing to die for this country.”
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, asked whether women would have a fair shot of promotion if he led the Pentagon given his earlier suggestions that they make the military a less lethal force. He said they would.
Republicans praised his communication skills, honed as a television anchor.
Mr. Hegseth and his Republican allies on the panel made the case that his lack of experience compared with previous defense secretaries would be a plus.
Mr. Hegseth said: “As President Trump also told me, we’ve repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly the right credentials, whether they’re retired generals, academics or defense contractor executives. And where has it gotten us?”
Republican senators hailed his skills as a communicator. After running two small nonprofit organizations, both of which ended up in debt, Mr. Hegseth was a weekend anchor on “Fox & Friends” for seven years.
During the hearing, he generally spoke confidently, typically revealing little evidence of being rattled.
Democrats said his lack of experience showed in his answers.
Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois who is also a veteran, gave him a type of foreign affairs quiz, asking him to name the countries in ASEAN — the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He could not. At another point she told him: “Do a little homework” before such sessions.
