Donald Trump’s controversial pick to run the Pentagon was poised for confirmation by the US Senate, after he secured the backing of crucial Republicans following a testy hearing in which he claimed he was a victim of a “smear campaign” to stop him taking the job.
Pete Hegseth faced a sometimes hostile Senate committee on Tuesday as he tried to bat away allegations about sexual assault and alcohol abuse that have dogged the former Fox News host since Trump nominated him to be his secretary of defence.
But after the proceedings, Senator Joni Ernst — considered a possible holdout — said she would support Hegseth’s nomination, all but ensuring he gets the nod from the chamber’s powerful armed service committee and paving the way for his confirmation by the full Senate.
“After four years of weakness in the White House, Americans deserve a strong Secretary of Defense,” Ernst said in a statement, adding that she would support Hegseth to run the department.
Hegseth used the four-hour hearing to deride “leftwing media” and “anonymous sources” for what he said was an organised effort to keep him from joining the next president’s administration.
“There was a co-ordinated smear campaign orchestrated in the media . . . most of it was about President Donald Trump, who’s had to endure the very same thing,” Hegseth said. Later, he said he had been “fully investigated and completely cleared”, calling the allegations “false charges”.
He also dismissed reports of him being drunk at work, including at Fox News, calling them “false, anonymous reports peddled by MSNBC”.
The hearing offered a first taste of the fireworks expected as many of Trump’s controversial nominees for government come before the Senate, which must vote to approve them.
The former soldier, who wore a blue suit adorned with an American flag pocket square, entered the room to a standing ovation from spectators and chants of “USA, USA, USA”.
“You get ‘em, Petey,” someone shouted from rows filled with men wearing black “for Hegseth” caps as the nominee entered. Four people were removed from the hearing room during Hegseth’s opening statement, most of them shouting about the war in Gaza.
Several other Trump cabinet nominees, including contentious picks such as vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr to run the health department and Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence, are scheduled to appear in Congress’s upper chamber in the coming weeks.
Hegseth was expected to face a tough path to confirmation, but Republican senators, who control the chamber’s powerful armed services committee, seemed ready to give the former soldier the nod, teeing him up for a vote by the full Senate.
Republicans also hold a majority in the Senate, making the committee stage the most significant hurdle.
Washington was watching for Ernst’s reaction, given that she previously expressed concerns over Hegseth’s stances on women in combat roles and sexual assault in the military.
During the proceedings, she told Hegseth she wanted to ensure every woman got the opportunity to serve their country “and do so at any level”.
Hegseth responded that women would “have access to ground combat roles, given the standards remain high”, and committed to appointing a senior-level official dedicated to sexual assault prevention and response.
Hegseth served in the Army National Guard but was most recently a host on Fox News, where he became known for denouncing “wokeness” in the military and diversity, equity and inclusive initiatives. DEI policies in the military were “dividing troops” and forcing “commanders to walk on eggshells”, Hegseth said at the hearing.
“Wokeness comes not from the uniform . . . but from the political class,” he said, adding that troops would “rejoice” at a change in policy.
The conservative firebrand was grilled about writing that women were less effective than men in combat roles, and had fiery exchanges with Democratic senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren over the issue.
“When I’m talking about that issue, it’s not about the capabilities of men and women. It’s about standards” that have been “eroded”, Hegseth said.
“I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job,” Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the committee, told Hegseth. “You lack the character and composure to hold the position.”
Reed said the hearing “confirmed” his fears about Hegseth, saying he “is the least qualified nominee for secretary of defence in modern history”.
Hegseth’s shock choice for the top Pentagon job initially alarmed some lawmakers in Congress, including Republicans, and prompted Trump to briefly consider alternatives.
“Pete Hegseth will make a GREAT Secretary of Defense. He has my Complete and Total support. Good luck today, Pete!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform ahead of the confirmation hearing.
Trump’s national security adviser appointee Mike Waltz introduced Hegseth at the hearing and urged senators to confirm him.
“Admittedly, this nomination is unconventional,” conceded Senate armed services committee chair Roger Wicker. But he called Hegseth an “excellent choice” and likened the nominee to Trump.
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