Trump defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth faces grilling at first Senate hearing

Culture wars and personal issues are expected to dominate Tuesday's hearing for President-elect Donald Trump to choose his next defense secretary, Pete Hegers.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army veteran, will be the first Trump Cabinet pick to be publicly questioned by members of Congress when he appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee. About a dozen other hearings are scheduled this week as senators race to help Trump fill gaps in his administration before he takes office next Monday.

Hegseth, who was appointed to lead the massive Defense Department, faced accusations of sexual assault, alcoholism and financial mismanagement while running a veterans' rights group, all of which he denied. He has been criticized for his past opposition to allowing women and openly gay people to serve in the military, a stance he has since walked back.

Others worry Hegers does not have enough management experience to oversee a vast military bureaucracy that employs more than 2.1 million people and has a budget of more than $800 billion.

Despite the criticism, Trump stood by Hegseth, saying he had full support. Trump's allies on Capitol Hill and outside conservative groups have been pressuring Republican senators to support the nomination.

“He's going to be torn, he's going to be dissed, he's going to be talked about, but we're going to get him across the finish line,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said Monday.

With little to no support expected from Democrats, Hegseth cannot afford to lose many Republican votes in a narrowly divided Senate. The key vote on the Armed Services Committee will be cast by Iowa Republican Joni Ernst, a veteran and sexual assault survivor who has been skeptical of Hegseth's candidacy.

Outside the group, two Senate Republican women typically seen as moderates — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — also receive special attention.

Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about the 2017 sexual assault allegations. A female staffer for a Republican women's group said Hegseth took her cellphone and prevented her from leaving her hotel room after a political meeting in Monterey, California, and then sexually assaulted her. She reported the incident to police and Hegseth settled and paid an undisclosed amount.

Hegseth said the relationship was consensual and his attorney said he “felt strongly that he was the victim of extortion and innocent collateral damage by the complainant who persisted in lying in order to keep the marriage intact.”

The FBI background check on Hegseth received late last week by the chairman and ranking members of the Armed Services Committee did not include any reference to the woman or Hegseth's ex-wife, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the investigation. interview. Report.

Hegseth's mother also accused him of abusing women via text messages during their second divorce, although she later recanted those accusations, calling her son a “changed man” and now supporting his nomination.

Senators, including Collins, said they had a productive meeting with Hegers, who exceeded their expectations.

But Democrats are expected to sharply rebuke Hegseth and Trump for choosing him to lead the Pentagon.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday that Hegseth's background is “deeply troubling.”

“Mr. Hegseth will have an opportunity to answer questions about the allegations, his record and his views,” Schumer said. “He can expect that – that his hearing will be tough but respectful, candid but fair.” of.”