Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump‘s secretary of protection nominee, attended his affirmation listening to in entrance of the Senate Armed Companies Committee on January 14, 2025. All through the televised session, the previous Fox & Mates weekend co-host was grilled on his previous controversies, together with sexual assault allegations, infidelity and extra. So, the query stays: was Hegseth, 44, confirmed to steer the Pentagon for Trump’s presidency? Discover out under.
Was Pete Hegseth Confirmed?
Sure, Hegseth is confirmed to be the following U.S. secretary of protection. J.D. Vance broke the 51-50 tie as three Republicans, together with Mitch McConnell, voted “no” for Hegseth. The Senate superior his nomination on January 23, 2025.
Hegseth opened his January 15 listening to by thanking the committee members for the chance to reply their questions.
“Ought to I be confirmed, I look ahead to working with this committee — senators from each events — to safe our nation,” Hegseth stated in his opening assertion. The previous Military Nationwide Guard officer additionally acknowledged that he doesn’t “have the same biography to protection secretaries of the final 30 years.”
“However, as President Trump additionally advised me, we’ve repeatedly positioned folks atop the Pentagon with supposedly ‘the proper credentials’ — whether or not they’re retired generals, teachers, or protection contractor executives — and the place has it gotten us?” Hegseth prompted the committee, earlier than including, “He believes, and I humbly agree, that it’s time to offer somebody with mud on his boots the helm. A change agent. Somebody with no vested curiosity in sure firms or particular packages or authorized narratives.”
When Was Pete Hegseth Confirmed?
The ultimate vote on affirmation was held on January 24. The Senate Armed Companies Committee was divided over confirming him, as a number of members pressed Hegseth over his controversial remarks about ladies within the army.
Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Jeanne Shaheen pointed to numerous previous feedback that Hegseth made, during which he questioned a lady’s functionality of becoming a member of fight. In response to this, Hegseth insisted, “I respect each single feminine service member that has placed on the uniform previous and current. My critiques, senator, not too long ago and prior to now, and from private expertise, have been situations the place I’ve seen requirements lowered [for women to join combat].”
Senator Tim Kaine went as far as to resurface Hegseth’s previous infidelity, noting, “You have got admitted that you simply had intercourse whilst you had been married to spouse two, after you simply had fathered a toddler by spouse three,” referring to Hegseth’s second spouse, Samantha Deering, and his present spouse, Jennifer Rauchet.
If you happen to or anybody you understand has been sexually abused, name the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A educated workers member will present confidential, judgment-free help in addition to native sources to help in therapeutic, recovering and extra.
