Washington As President Donald Trump works to quickly appoint key members of his Cabinet, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted party-line on Monday to send Pete Hegseth’s nominee to the Senate floor for defense secretary.
On the committee, all 13 Democrats voted against Hegseth, while all 14 Republicans supported him.No Republican senator has yet to declare that they will vote against Hegseth, indicating that he is likely on track to be approved by the Senate despite early worries over claims of sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement—all of which he has denied.
The earliest that a full Senate vote may take place is Thursday, unless all 100 senators agree to expedite the process.
Given that Hegseth had little military leadership or substantial managerial experience, many in Washington were taken aback by Trump’s choice in November to choose the 44-year-old former Fox News personality, who served with the Army National Guard during the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. In the weeks that followed, Hegseth’s candidacy seemed to be in danger of failing due to allegations that he had a history of heavy drinking at work, notably at Fox News, and that he had settled with a woman who had accused him of sexual assault in a hotel room in 2017.
Hegseth refuted every accusation, declared that if he were confirmed as the Pentagon’s leader, he would not touch alcohol, and claimed that Trump had urged him to keep fighting and moving forward.
Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, responded to a question about whether he was worried about Hegseth’s lack of experience following Monday’s vote by saying, “I do not have those concerns and I don’t think the majority of the Senate has those concerns, nor the majority of Americans.”
“I think he s got a lot of knowledge and, frankly, we need to shake things up in the Pentagon,” Wicker said. “The bureaucracy has grown sluggish over time, and there is an excessive amount of red tape, obstacles, and boxes to check. The Trump administration’s mandate to “shake things up and do things differently” includes this.
Democrats grilled Hegseth about his drinking problems, infidelity claims, workplace misbehavior, and experience at his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing last Tuesday. He was questioned by several senators on his public remarks that women shouldn’t serve in combat roles. According to his response, he now thinks that women should be able to participate in combat jobs as long as “standards remain high.”
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, however, asked the most pointed questions, focusing on the claim of an assault at a hotel in Monterrey, California. Prosecutors chose not to press charges after local police looked into the incident.
You believe that since you didn’t commit any crimes, you are totally innocent. That’s how you define cleared. In an attesty exchange, Kaine informed Hegseth that he had recently fathered a child two months prior by a lady who was not his wife. That you would stand here and declare yourself fully cleared astounds me.
“I was cleared completely,” Hegseth answered.
The Monterey event resulted in a private settlement, a criminal investigation, a criminal charge, and a monetary payoff to the woman who lodged the complaint. A nondisclosure agreement was also in place, right? Kaine continued. Why didn’t you let the transition team and the commander in chief know about this extremely important event?
All 47 Democratic senators may work with just four Republican senators to thwart Hegseth’s nomination. Along with two moderate GOP senators who have previously split from Trump, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, an Iraq combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, was considered a potential defection candidate.
Ernst, an Armed Services Committee member up for reelection in 2026, however, declared she would back Hegseth’s nominee during Tuesday’s hearing.
In a statement, Ernst said, “After our conversations, hearing from Iowans, and doing my job as a United States Senator, I will support President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense.” Pete Hegseth was chosen by our next commander in chief to fill this position.
“As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I will collaborate with Pete to build the most deadly combat force and hold him accountable for his pledges to audit the Pentagon, provide women with combat opportunities while upholding high standards, and appoint a senior official to address and prevent sexual assault in the ranks,” she said.