On Jan. 14, the new chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), opened the confirmation for Peter B. Hegseth to be secretary of defense and saluted the audience’s applause as a “very appropriate expression of approval and respect for the nominee. Wicker also laid out the challenges Hegseth would face if confirmed and acknowledged the facts that could not be ignored. The incoming commander-in-chief, Donald Trump, is an “unconventional” leader, and he’s chosen a leader in Hegseth who, by historical measures, is equally unconventional. His testimony and answers to SASC members’ questions underscored that characterization.
Hegseth Hearing Was Not Ordinary
Confirmation hearings are often pro forma events, but the SASC hearing for Hegseth was anything but routine. The first blistering salvo came from ranking member Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI). Without overture or prelude, Reed announced his belief that Hegseth was unqualified for the position, ticking off all the negative narratives bouncing around the progressive media. As a committee guest, former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) spoke in favor of the nominee and said, “Yes, Pete Hegseth is an ‘out-of-the-box’ nominee, and it’s high time to get out of the box.” Also speaking on Hegseth’s behalf was Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), tapped to be Trump’s National Security Advisor, who put the nominee’s confirmation in context:
“He will bring the perspective of being the first secretary of defense to have served as a junior officer, on the front lines, not in the Headquarters. On the front lines in the war on terror and recognizes the human cost, the financial cost, and the policy drift that was discussed often in this very room that led us to decades and decades of war. Not only does he understand the threats he faces, but as the chairman mentioned he is brilliant, in my mind, at communicating those to the American people in a way that is often not communicated in Washington, DC.”
The questioning proceeded along party lines as expected. The Democratic committee members echoed the uncorroborated and anonymous sources critical of Hegseth’s nomination, while the Republicans offered questions relevant to national security. Four themes emerged. How could the nominee with little or no experience in managing a large organization be successful? How was the nominee going to address what Trump and he were going to do about the failure of the current administration to maintain the focus on warfighter capability and rid the military of social justice tenets and a woke agenda that have jeopardized national defense priorities and have nothing to do with achieving the most effective military against powerful enemies? How did the nominee reconcile his previous public verbal and written statements disparaging women in combat with the reality of women in those roles now? And how did the nominee justify his being able to be a leader of 3 million men and women in the military with the allegations of marital problems in his private life and financial misconduct in his management of the non-profit organizations he led as a private citizen?
To address the first question, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) raised the issue of the Pentagon failing to pass an audit. Achieving a clean audit would demonstrate the ability to lead and manage a large, dynamic organization. Scott asked, “It all goes to accountability, and we haven’t had it. Could you talk about how you bring accountability to the table and what you’re going to do with regard to bringing accountability to the Pentagon?” Hegseth explained that anyone in a leadership position, both large and small, does not do the job on their own. “It is leadership of people and a clear vision of people where you build a team, pass that vision, empower people properly. I want smarter and more capable people around me than me, and you will get that in the department,” he said.
Women in Combat, a Topic of Concern
Three of the women senators on the minority side – Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) – were particularly concerned that Hegseth would remove the opportunity for women to serve in combat. They raised Hegseth’s previous negative comments on the subject. To speak to this issue, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) asked the nominee, “Has President Trump indicated at all that he plans to rescind or alter that guidance [permitting women in combat roles]?” Hegseth responded, “You’re correct to point out these are the decisions the commander-in-chief will have the prerogative to make. He has not indicated to me that he plans to change whether or not women would have access to these [combat] roles.”
To bring the character issue closer to home, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) pointed out that the senators on the committee didn’t have to meet very stringent qualifications. “How many senators do you know who have got a divorce for cheating on their wives, could you ask them to step down? No … Point out the hypocrisy because a man has made a mistake ... It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourself to this higher standard and forget the plank in your eyes.” Hegseth countered the allegations of serious personal misbehavior with letters from military colleagues and business associates that refuted the allegations, and the committee chairman entered those letters into the record.
Ridding the Pentagon of the cancerous diversity, equity, and inclusion programs along with the general woke mindset would be accomplished by emphasizing and ensuring that “every warrior is fully qualified on their assigned weapons system, every pilot is qualified and current on the aircraft they are flying, and every general or flag officer is selected for leadership or promotion purely based on performance, readiness, and merit,” Hegseth explained. By replacing the distractions of the social justice agenda with meaningful measures of merit, woke will wither.
Grilled thoroughly, Hegseth was not cowed by the often mean-spirited invective from the left. He comported himself in a composed and thoughtful manner. Many will continue to have doubts, but Hegseth demonstrated a resolve to put those doubts to rest.
The views expressed are those of the author and not of any other affiliate.
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