‘Must-See TV’: Senate Democrats Plan To Rake Hegseth Over the Coals at Confirmation Hearing

The nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, will face a grilling from Senate Democrats on Tuesday at his confirmation hearing, according to multiple senators who spoke to The New York Sun. He has faced a number of accusations related to sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement since being nominated in November. Mr. Hegseth will be the first nominee of President Trump’s to appear before a Senate committee on Tuesday morning. Democrats on the Armed Services Committee tell the Sun that they will ask him about those accusations at the hearing. “I will be asking him about his egregious statement with respect to women in combat roles, as well as some other issues around women in the military that I’m concerned about,” Senator Shaheen, a senior member of the committee, says. Mr. Hegseth said last year that he did not believe women should be eligible to serve in military combat roles. Mr. Hegseth has also been accused of mismanaging the funds of a veterans advocacy non-profit, which has raised questions among some Democrats about his ability to manage one of the largest, costliest, and most complex organizations in the world. In an interview with the New Yorker, multiple individuals who worked with Mr. Hegseth said that he was repeatedly drunk on the job and that he used the organization’s funds to party and meet women. Senator Blumenthal tells the Sun that he wants to ask the allegations during his questioning portion. “One of my main areas of questioning will relate to his financial mismanagement of the two veterans organizations that he ran into the ground,” the Connecticut senator says. Mr. Hegseth has denied all of the allegations levied against him. Other Democratic members of the committee played coy about their intentions for the hearing, however. Senator Rosen told the Sun that people should “tune in” for some “must-see TV.” Senator Kaine similarly told the Sun that his questions for Mr. Hegseth will only be disclosed live at the hearing, and that it’s “free” to see what he’s going to ask. One Republican member of the Armed Services panel, Senator Rounds, tells the Sun that he plans to ask Mr. Hegseth about the future of the defense department and the military, though he said that the nominee will have to answer some “challenging” questions from his colleagues. “The open hearing is very valuable. I think he’s gonna be defined in the open hearing, but he’s going to have to answer some questions from our Democratic colleagues that are going to be challenging about his personal life,” Mr. Rounds says. “I think he’ll be okay.”Mr. Rounds warned that it is “absolutely” critical that Mr. Hegseth maintains a cool head under pressure from members of the minority party. Most observers’ eyes will be turned to Senator Ernst on Tuesday as she questions Mr. Hegseth. The Iowa senator spent more than two decades in the Army before running for the Senate, and has spoken in the past about her experience as a rape and domestic abuse survivor. In a statement issued in December, Ms. Ernst said that she would “support” Mr. Hegseth through his confirmation process, but declined to say if she would support his nomination either in the Armed Services Committee or on the floor.

‘Must-See TV’: Senate Democrats Plan To Rake Hegseth Over the Coals at Confirmation Hearing

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