Pete Hegseth emerged from his Senate confirmation hearing for secretary of Defense with his composure unshaken and his reputation intact, despite the Democrats’ best efforts to derail his nomination. Their political theater, filled with unproven allegations, only served to highlight their lack of substance. Hegseth’s performance was a masterclass in grace under fire, exposing the opposition’s desperation as they turned the session into a spectacle of partisan mudslinging.
It was clear early on this was going to be a dramatic hearing. During Hegseth’s openning statement, hecklers shouted slurs like “misogynist” and “Christian Zionist” before being escorted out. This set the tone for what would become a contentious day.
Hegseth’s nomination was always going to be the toughest. Not only did Democrats dismiss him as a mere Fox News host, but unproven allegations of sexual assault and alcoholism had Democrats dusting off their Kavanaugh playbook, and his views on women in combat and transgender members of the military have also become key points of contention from the left.
Hegseth dismissed the brouhaha over the allegations against him as part of a “coordinated smear campaign” aimed at undermining President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, a response that rang true when, as I’m sure you noticed, the Democrats seemed to focus more on character attacks than policy.
Related: Hegseth's Media Chops Are a Huge Plus While Facing Frothing Democrats
A large portion of the hearing centered around Hegseth’s stance on women in combat. Democrats like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand decried his position as “hurtful,” despite Hegseth’s measured explanation that combat roles should be based on physical standards, not gender.
Pete Hegseth clarified his position on women in combat roles, and I COMPLETELY AGREE!
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 14, 2025
"In those ground combat roles, what is true is the weight on your back doesn‘t change."
"The weight of the bravo machine gun you might have to carry does not change. Whether it is a man or… pic.twitter.com/bzBYBSl0t6
As you can imagine, every Democrat in that room had already made a decision about Hegseth and couldn’t have cared less about what he had to say. They instead used their time to prove themselves to be party of the resistance to Trump.
And there was no accusation too absurd for them to lean on.
Sen. Mazie Hirono’s baseless accusations of workplace drinking and extreme views went unsupported by evidence. Hegseth easily dismantled Sen. Jack Reed’s defense of divisive DEI policies, pointing out that they undermine meritocracy, exposing the weakness of his critics’ rhetoric.
The most egregious display of hypocrisy came from Sen. Tim Kaine, who brought up personal allegations against Hegseth, only for the nominee to acknowledge his past mistakes in a narrative of Christian faith and redemption.
My favorite moment, however, was when he utterly humiliated Sen. Elizabeth Warren when she brought up that he wrote about how “after they retire, generals should be banned from working for the defense industry for ten years,” and then pressed him to do the same after leaving his job.
After several attempts to get an answer out of him, she said, “In other words, you’re quite sure that every general who serves should not go directly into the defense industry for 10 years. You’re not willing to make that same pledge?”
He shot back, “I’m not a general, Senator,” shutting down her questioning and drawing laughter from the gallery.
WARREN: You're quite sure that every general who serves should not go directly into the defense industry for 10 years, but you're not willing to make that same pledge?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 14, 2025
HEGSETH: I'm not a general, Senator. pic.twitter.com/GwjJ8703wW
Democrats’ fixation on unproven allegations rather than focusing on Hegseth’s qualifications backfired. Their arguments came across as weak and unfocused, with even Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Gary Peters failing to gain traction with overly confrontational criticisms that just made them look wacko.
In the end, I suspect that Hegseth successfully convinced any potential GOP holdouts to support him. His opposition to DEI policies, emphasis on military readiness, and acknowledgment of his past mistakes are exactly what our military needs after four years of Biden-Harris. Democrats clearly hoped this would be their moment to end his nomination, but in the end, Hegseth defeated them.
