Highlights: Pete Hegseth questioned about misconduct allegations and views on women at Senate confirmation hearing

Hegseth was met with a friendly reception from Senate Republicans at his hearing today before the Armed Services Committee, which signaled it would get behind Hegseth, Trump’s embattled nominee to be defense secretary.

Hegseth came into the hearing with a cloud of controversies hanging over his nomination, including allegations of excessive drinking and sexual assault, which he has denied, and past remarks that women shouldn’t serve in combat, which he has walked back.

But after he was questioned for more than four hours today, Republicans came away feeling optimistic that Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army combat veteran, would be confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The GOP controls 53 Senate seats and will need 50 senators to secure his confirmation.

Read the full story here.

Senate Democrats expressed deep concern about Hegseth’s nomination and hearing performance at a leadership news conference this afternoon.

“He is, by all accounts, woefully unfit to be secretary of defense, so much so that my colleague Senator Reed requested to allow all committee members to review all FBI background documents,” said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York.

Schumer criticized Wicker, the committee’s chair, for rejecting Reed’s request: “What’s he afraid of? What are they afraid of?”

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s confirmation hearing to be secretary of homeland security has also been postponed, according to a committee spokesperson.

The confirmation hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. tomorrow but it has been moved to 9 a.m. Friday. It wasn't immediately clear why.

Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., said during his questioning of Hegseth that Army recruiting has surged since Trump was elected in November — a claim Hegseth agreed with.

This is false.

During his questioning of Hegseth, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., asked about diversity initiatives in the military, alleging that the Navy had mandated "DEI" training.

“Met with a couple of Navy SEALs not too long ago, they just got back from crawling around in the mud and the muck overseas, unknown places. Couldn’t tell you where they’ve been carrying a weapon, obviously protecting us and our allies. And the first week they’re back, what do they do? They had to go through a week of DEI training. Both are now out," Tuberville said.

Tuberville's claim is false.

Navywide, mandated “diversity” training does not exist. Naval Special Warfare Command is not aware of the training Tuberville described.

Top military leaders addressed various related claims last year, debunking them factually during congressional hearings.

One of several strong exchanges about women in combat was when Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., pushed Hegseth about women in combat.

Hegseth alleged that standards have been lowered in infantry units and that commanders are required to meet quotas for how many women are in those units.

Gillibrand fired back: "Commanders do not have to have a quota for women in the infantry. That does not exist."

Hegseth's allegation is, in fact, false.

As the hearing wrapped up, Kaine poked fun at Republican senators on X for a typo on a placard about “DEI in our miltary.”

“GOP members complaining about reduction of military standards while using a chart that misspells the word military!” Kaine wrote.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that Hegseth made “a strong argument” for why he should be confirmed.

"If he’s reported out of the committee, we will work quickly to get him across the floor, obviously, because that is a key, critical, important national security position that needs to be filled," Thune said.

When asked about whether he had any concerns about allegations of sexual assault against Hegseth, Thune said that he thought "he's addressed those allegations."

A flurry of Trump supporters, staffers and congressional Republicans posted on X during the hearing to offer support for Hegseth or drag Democratic senators for their questions.

After Kaine, D-Va., grilled Hegseth over allegations of infidelity and sexual assault, Trump campaign adviser Alex Bruesewitz took to X to drag Kaine, reminding his followers that Kaine was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the 2016 presidential election and “had no qualms about Bill Clinton’s history of infidelity or allegations of sexual abuse.” Brusewitz called Kaine’s fiery line of questioning a “sanctimonious performance” of “theatrical hypocrisy.”

Hegseth walked out of the hearing room unsmiling with furrowed brows, only turning his head as reporters called out to him.

When asked how the hearing went, Hegseth gave a thumbs-up and said, "Great!"

The confirmation hearing is now over. As the room got to its feet, a crowd of Republican senators came over to shake Hegseth's hand.

During a lightning round of trivia questions from Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL who just won his first term last fall, the senator asked Hegseth how many pushups he could do.

Hegseth replied he did five sets of 47 pushups this morning. The pair moved on to other questions, but a reminder: Trump will be America's 47th president when he takes office next week.

Sen. Tim Sheehy, the final senator to address Hegseth, wrapped the hearing with a series of questions about rank-and-file knowledge he said helped display an understanding of “what the war-fighter deals with.”

He asked one question about the diameter of a round fired out of a particular kind of rifle, one question about the most important strategic bases in the Pacific, and another about what kind of batteries go in night-vision goggles. 

Sheehy said Hegseth’s replies “show you understand what the war-fighter deals with every single day in the battlefield.”

He also appeared to sympathize with Hegseth regarding the allegations made against him.

“I don’t care, frankly, what all these letters and articles say,” Sheehy said. “I’ve been a part of a smear campaign, too. I get it.” That appeared to be a reference to allegations made against Sheehy during his Senate campaign last year.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., is asking Hegseth to simply label “true or false” many of the allegations made against him. Hegseth, however, is refusing to do so, calling each of the claims only “anonymous smears.”

“On Memorial Day 2014 at a CVA event in Virginia, you needed to be carried out of the event for being intoxicated,” Kelly said.

“Anonymous smears,” Hegseth replied.

“An event in North Carolina, drunk in front of three young female staff-members, after you had instituted a no alcohol policy and then reversed it, true or false,” Kelly said. 

“Anonymous smears,” Hegseth said. 

The pattern continued, as Kelly mentioned several other allegations.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., asked Hegseth if he would follow an illegal order, or order going against the U.S. Constitution, if Trump gave one.

"Should President Trump give an illegal order, right, I'm not saying he will, but if he does, you are going to be the guy that he calls to implement this order. Do you agree that there are some orders that can be given by the commander in chief that would violate the U.S. Constitution?" asked Slotkin, who was sworn into office less two weeks ago.

Hegseth immediately rebuffed the question, telling Slotkin, "I reject the premise that President Trump is going to be giving illegal orders."

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a military combat veteran, tore into Hegseth over his lack of experience and his incorrect answers to some of her questions.

She tested him about his focus on the Asia-Pacific region and quizzed him about membership in ASEAN.

He named South Korea, Japan and Australia and Duckworth said, "None of those three countries that you mentioned are in ASEAN."

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., questioned Hegseth about his managerial experience, telling the nominee, "You don't have that experience."

"We're hiring you to be the CEO of one of the most complex, largest organizations in the world. We're the board of directors here," Peters said.

"I don't know of any corporate board of directors that would hire a CEO or a major company if they came and said, 'You know, I supervised 100 people before,'" the senator continued, adding that Hegseth's prior company is "not remotely near the size" of the DoD.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., blasted Kaine and other Democratic senators for what Mullin described as a double standard in their criticisms of Hegseth related to his alcohol use and alleged infidelities.

“The senator from Virginia starts bringing up the fact that, what if you showed up drunk to your job? How many senators have showed up drunk at night?” Mullin said. “Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from their job?”

“And don’t tell me you haven’t seen it, because I know you have,” he added.

“How many senators do you know have got a divorce before cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down?” he continued.

“A man’s made a mistake, and you want to sit there and say that he’s not qualified,” Mullin said. “It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourself as this higher standard. You forget you got a big plank in your eye. We’ve all made mistakes.”

During an exchange over the revolving door between the Pentagon and the defense industry, Warren tried to get Hegseth to commit to not working in the defense industry for 10 years after he leaves the department if he is confirmed.

Hegseth avoided addressing the topic head-on.

“Senator, it’s not even a question I’ve thought about,” Hegseth said. “It’s not my motivation for this job.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., grilled Hegseth about his changing beliefs on women serving in combat roles.

"I have serious concerns that your behavior toward women disqualifies you from serving in this role," Warren said.

Hegseth defended Trump administration policies on rules of engagement for counter-terrorism, which dictate how the military can use force during enemy combat. He pointed to military efforts against ISIS in Iraq during Trump’s first term as an example of the "burdensome" rules.

“What President Trump did was untie the hands of war fighters, changed the rules of engagement ... and allowed them to complete their mission and crush ISIS,” Hegseth said. “It has not just tactical implications, operational and strategic implications, how you allow war fighters to go about winning and fighting their wars.”

“Within the laws of war and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, we are going to unleash war fighters to win wars so that wars don’t drag on forever as our generation has seen,” he added.

In his questioning of Hegseth, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said he was “disturbed” that the nominee did not make “a single mention” of Ukraine or Russia during his opening statement.

“Is this code for we’re going to abandon Ukraine?” King asked. 

Hegseth answered by saying “that’s a presidential-level policy decision” and that Trump has “made it very clear that he would like to see an end to that conflict.”

Hegseth said during a line of questioning from Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., that service members who were discharged from the military for refusing to get the Covid vaccine would be “apologized to and reinstituted with pay and rank,” in Trump’s Defense Department. 

Hegseth called the FDA-approved Covid vaccine “experimental,” saying the Defense Department’s decision to mandate the vaccine in 2021 was an example of “extremism.”

The Defense Department lifted the Covid vaccine mandate in January 2023 after Biden signed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that required its removal.

Kaine also asked about an email Hegseth’s mother sent him accusing him of mistreating women. Penelope Hegseth later said she sent the email in “haste” and defended her son as a changed man.

Kaine and Hegseth sparred at length over the sexual assault allegation.

"Senator, I was falsely charged, fully investigated and completely cleared," Hegseth said.

Kaine said: "So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime. That's your definition of cleared. You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife. I am shocked that you would stand here and say you're completely cleared."

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., once playfully dubbed “America’s Dad,” is doing the ugly work of probing the sexual assault accusation against Hegseth in a way that Democrats had not been willing to do to this point. It's by far the most focused questioning by any Democrat so far.

A second round of questions by senators is unlikely, a spokesperson said.

It's unlikely unless there is a majority vote to overrule the bipartisan agreement.

Reed had requested a second round at the beginning of the hearing.

In his questions for Hegseth, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said the U.S. is “being completely outbuilt in terms of ships by the Chinese, and yet, [Biden's] secretary of the Navy has been focused on climate change, not building ships in lethality.”

He then added, “If your secretary of the Navy ends up focusing on climate change more than shipbuilding and lethality, will you commit to me to fire him?”

“My secretary of the Navy, should I be confirmed, sir, will not be focused on climate change in the Navy, just like … the secretary of the Army will not be focused on electric power tanks,” Hegseth replied. 

“We’re going to be focused on lethality,” he added.

Ernst faces some intraparty unrest in her home state, Iowa, as she weighs whether to support Hegseth, fueling speculation that she could face a challenge from the right as she runs for re-election in 2026.

Ernst’s allies are not worried about a potential primary challenge, noting that she remains popular among Republicans in the state and that she boasts strong conservative credentials.

But conversations with a dozen Iowa Republican leaders and strategists revealed anger toward Ernst among grassroots conservatives who want Republicans to back Trump’s Cabinet picks — and eye-rolling from some other Republicans who say rank-and-file Republicans are not worked up about Ernst to the degree some activists are saying.

Read the full story here.

Hirono asked if Hegseth would carry out an order from Trump to seize Greenland by force or to take over the Panama Canal. Hegseth dodged the question and began talking about the 2024 presidential election results. 

“I will emphasize that President Trump received 77 million votes to be the lawful commander-in-chief of this country,” Hegseth replied.

“We’re not talking about the election,” Hirono said. “My question is, would you use armed military to take over Greenland or an ally of Denmark?”

Hirono took issue with Hegseth’s fitness to serve over allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking in a combative line of questioning.

When asked about a settlement he paid to a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, Hegseth said the allegation was false and that he was “completely cleared” after investigation — a characterization Hirono disagreed with.

“I don’t think ‘completely cleared’ is accurate,” Hirono said. “The fact is that your own lawyer said that you entered an NDA, paid a person who accused you of raping her a sum of money, to make sure that she did not file a complaint.”

Hirono then shifted her questions to reports of Hegseth being intoxicated at work, which Hegseth denied. He reiterated his promise to stop drinking if he is confirmed as secretary of defense but did not answer clearly whether or not he would resign from the role if he were caught consuming alcohol on the job.

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, is the 10th senator to ask questions, and she’s the first to ask about the sexual assault allegation against Hegseth — doing so in the form of a stock question she asks all nominees.

She ends the exchange by saying, “Moving on." If that's the end of Hirono’s prodding on sexual assault allegation, that’s not exactly a deep dive.

Ernst, long seen as a pivotal GOP vote on Hegseth, opens her questioning by introducing a letter defending him, and asking him about Pentagon audit policy. If she’s planning to oppose Hegseth, she’s sure hiding it well.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is now questioning Hegseth.

Ernst, a survivor of sexual assault and a member of the Armed Services Committee, has been noncommittal about whether she'd vote to confirm Hegseth, though she has said she will "support" him "through this process."

Ernst has raised questions about a sexual assault allegation made against Hegseth in 2017 (Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing). She has faced pressure from Trump allies to back him.

How she votes could go a long way in determining whether he is confirmed.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked Hegseth about "financial mismanagement" at the two veterans organizations he led: Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America.

Blumenthal said that Hegseth took over Vets for Freedom in 2007 and in 2008, it raised $8.7 million but spent more than $9 million "creating a deficit by January 2009."

"You told donors that the organization had less than $1,000 in the bank and debts of $434,000. By 2010, revenue at the Veterans for Freedom had dropped to about $265,000," Blumenthal said. "In the next year, it had dropped further to $22,000. You don't dispute these numbers, do you?"

Striking a confrontational tone in her line of questioning, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said she has "many concerns" about Hegseth's record and public statements. Gillibrand noted she is compelled to press the Cabinet nominee on issues of equality because his past comments have been "so hurtful" to current military service members.

"You will have to change how you see women to do this job well, and I don't know if you are capable of that," Gillibrand said, pointing to Hegseth's public statement that he does not believe women should serve in combat roles.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has asked Hegseth to respond directly to the three protesters who interrupted his opening statement. 

Cotton pointed out that the first protester had yelled that Hegseth was a “Christian Zionist.”

Asked by Cotton, “Do you consider yourself a Christian Zionist?” Hegseth replied, “I’m a Christian, and I robustly support the state of Israel and its existential defense.”

Hegseth added, after being asked to respond to a second protester's remarks, that “I support Israel destroying every last member of Hamas.”

Three people were arrested and charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding, according to U.S. Capitol Police. Earlier in the hearing, protesters who interrupted Hegseth’s opening statement were removed by officers.

Shaheen asked Hegseth about past comments he has made suggesting women should not serve in combat roles.

"Senator, I would like to clarify when I'm talking about that issue, it's not about the capabilities of men and women. It's about standards," he said, saying that over time, they've seen an erosion of "certain duty positions, certain schools, certain places, which affects readiness, which is what I care about the most, readiness."

Hegseth said, "I would say I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside you, shoulder to shoulder, men and women, black, white, all backgrounds with a shared purpose. Our differences are not what define us. Our unity and our shared purpose is what define us. And you will be treated fairly with dignity, honor and respect, just like every man and woman in uniform."

Shaheen shot back, "I appreciate your 11th-hour conversion."

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., began her questioning of Hegseth by saying that she tried to meet with him before the confirmation hearing but that he did not ever respond to her request.

"I've been on this committee since 2011 and during that time, I voted to confirm six nominees to be secretary of defense from three administrations," Shaheen said, adding that included two Democratic and one Republican administration.

"Every one of those nominees met with me and my Democratic colleagues on this committee before the hearing. So as you can imagine, I was disappointed when no one ever followed up," the senator told Hegseth.

Reed pressed Hegseth on reporting war crimes and his role in pushing for Trump to pardon or promote men accused or convicted of war crimes.

“As someone who’s led men in combat directly and had to make very difficult decisions, I thought very deeply about the balance between legality and lethality, ensuring that the men and women on the front lines have the opportunity to destroy with and close the enemy and that lawyers aren’t the ones getting in the way,” Hegseth said.

He added that he was not discussing the Uniform Code of Military Justice or Geneva Conventions, but rather “restrictive rules of engagement” that have “made it more difficult to defeat our enemies.” Hegseth claimed that there was evidence withheld and prosecutorial misconduct in the cases Reed referred to.

Reed finished his questioning by asking Hegseth what a “jagoff” is, which Hegseth defined as an officer within the Judge Advocate General’s Corps “who puts his or her own priorities in front of the war fighters.” Jagoff is a derisive term meaning a stupid person.

In a tense exchange, Reed asked Hegseth if he was “aware” of reports that current serving military personnel had received emails “threatening them with being fired for supporting the current Department of Defense policies.”

Reed stated that one such email to a military officer that he’d been made aware of read, “with the incoming administration looking to remove disloyal, corrupt, traitorous, liberal officers such as yourself, we will certainly be putting your name into the list of those personnel to be removed.”

Hegseth said, “certainly I’m not aware of that — it’s not one of my efforts” before diving into his focus on “accountability.”

As Democrats begin their questioning of Hegseth, he's almost certain to hear lines of inquiry that have come up in his prep sessions. A source familiar says Hegseth has run “murder boards,” including as recently as last week, to get ready for today’s high-profile hearing.

Reed said he believes the FBI’s background investigation into Hegseth was insufficient for a nominee with “very complicated personal issues.” Reed and Wicker were the only two panel members to be granted access to the FBI report, which they received late last Friday.

“You and I have both seen the FBI background investigation of Mr. Hegseth, and I want to say for the record I believe the investigation was insufficient, frankly,” Reed said. The FBI report did not include interviews with Hegseth’s ex-wife, or with the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to sources familiar with the content of the report. 

Reed requested that there be a second round of questions presented to Hegseth before the hearing finishes.

"Many of my members would like a second round," Reed said after Wicker finished his first set of questions, adding that in his recollection, the committee had "never den[ied] anyone the opportunity to ask a second round of questions."

Wicker pushed back, telling Reed that he believed there would be "adequate time" for questioning.

"We're following the same exact precedent on all things that we did with Secretary Austin, so I respectfully understand what you're saying, but I think we have an agreement," Wicker said. "It's been known for quite some time, and I intend to stick with that agreement, which we made last December."

Wicker focused his first question on accusations against Hegseth, which he said came from "anonymous sources in liberal media." Hegseth said that there was a "coordinated smear campaign orchestrated in the media against us."

"What we knew is that it wasn't about me. Most of it was about President Donald Trump, who's had to endure the very same thing for much longer amounts of time," Hegseth said.

Hegseth’s opening remarks were interrupted three times by protesters but he followed his prepared opening statement almost exactly as it was written, emphasizing that "my only special interest is the warfighter."

Hegseth's opening statement was interrupted by three protesters, all of whom were escorted from the room.

The first protester could be heard calling Hegseth a "Christian zionist."

After the man, who was taken by officers and physically removed from the room, a woman in the audience began yelling moments later about “bombing babies in Gaza."

Trump's incoming White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, still serving in the House, introduced and endorsed Hegseth for defense secretary.

"Like Pete, I served in the U.S. Army. Like Pete, I'm a veteran," Waltz said. "We deployed to Afghanistan and all over the world at the height of the war on terror, which is the war of our generation, and like thousands of other war fighters, we have witnessed the hardships of war. We have experienced the loss of friends in combat. We have endured too much time away from family and friends."

Waltz said that Hegseth can "reinvigorate" warrior ethos and said he's "a man that will lead. I can't imagine having a more capable partner in my position as national security adviser."

Waltz and former Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., who also introduced Hegseth, claimed that military recruitment is down, but it actually rose sharply last year.

Pete Hegseth's past statements on women in combat roles and military DEI practices are "extremely alarming," Reed said in his opening statement.

Leading with a personal anecdote about serving in the military in the 1970s, Reed recalled an organization that was rife with racial tension, sexism and LGBTQ-centered bigotry. The branch at the time was "certainly not the nation's most capable military by any standard," Reed said, emphasizing the importance of a body that reflects the American people it vows to protect.

With Hegseth at the helm, Reed worries today's historically diverse military could backslide, pointing to an interview Hegseth did in November where he said, "I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles."

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in his opening statement that he does not believe Hegseth is "qualified to meet the overwhelming demands" of defense secretary, citing allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking and his comments that women should not serve in combat roles

"We must acknowledge the concerning public reports against you," Reed said. Reed added that he has reviewed many of the allegations and finds them "extremely alarming."

"Indeed, the totality of your own writings and alleged conduct would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the secretary of defense," Reed said.

Hegseth has denied allegations of sexual assault and has said he would not drink as secretary of defense.

Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in his opening statement that Hegseth would take over the Pentagon "in a moment of consequence."

"The United States faces the most dangerous security environment since World War II," Wicker said, identifying Chinese aggression, threats from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, and terrorism from Hamas and Hezbollah as top priorities to tackle.

In a 75-page questionnaire, Hegseth answered numerous policy questions posed by the Senate Armed Services Committee about a range of issues facing the military.

Addressing sexual assault in the military, Hegseth said that he would place a "high-level official in charge" to oversee a plan to prevent sexual assault and harassment across the military.

The confirmation hearing for Hegseth before the Senate Armed Services Committee has begun. Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., called for a moment of silence for the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.

Senate Democrats foreshadowed that there could be “surprises” at today’s hearing, pointing out that rank-and-file members had not been given a copy of a report on the FBI background check on Hegseth or other requested materials and that that information could come to light.

“There may be surprises because we have been denied access to some of the materials and documents and other information, including the FBI report, that may contain information forthcoming during the hearing,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., an Armed Services member, told reporters last night.

“In other words, we may not know what he may tell us in the hearing, simply because we haven’t been privy to a lot of the documents, most prominently an FBI report,” the senator continued. “The Trump transition team has been stonewalling and slow-walking us. It amounts to a campaign of cover up.”

Another Armed Services member, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., added: “I think there will be surprises.”

Trump posted on Truth Social to wish Hegseth luck ahead of his hearing this morning.

"Pete Hegseth will make a GREAT Secretary of Defense. He has my Complete and Total support," Trump said in the post.

"Good luck today, Pete!" the president-elect added. Trump repeatedly reiterated his support for Hegseth amid the allegations of misconduct last year.

Hegseth is set to begin confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill. In his opening statement obtained by NBC News, he leans into his outside perspective. “It’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm,” he is expected to say. NBC’s Ryan Nobles reports for "TODAY."

Hegseth arrived at the Russell Senate Office Building just before 9 a.m. ET, telling NBC News that he is "feeling great" ahead of today's hearing.

"Looking forward to today," Hegseth added as he entered the building.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said yesterday that Hegseth's prior ideas about women serving in combat roles are a threat to the country's security.

"Women make up nearly one in five members of our military — serving on the frontlines," Warren said in a post on X. "But Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, doesn’t believe women in the military should serve in combat roles."

Warren said the country needs to recruit "the most talented people we can to keep America safe," adding "what happens if we wipe out 1000s of qualified women from our military, women who are already doing the job?"

Hegseth has repeatedly said in the past, including in a podcast in November, that he doesn't believe women should serve in combat roles, a comment that was met with immediate backlash. Since then, Hegseth has softened his approach, saying on a different podcast in December that women could serve in combat as long as they meet "the right standard."

Hegseth will lay out his agenda and criticize the Biden administration in his opening statement, according to his prepared remarks.

He will say his top three goals were to “restore the warrior ethos,” “rebuild our military” and “re-establish deterrence.”

Hegseth will also say that the Defense Department would remain “patriotically apolitical” under his leadership, taking a jab at the Biden administration while doing so.

“We are not Republicans or Democrats — we are American warriors. Our standards will be high, and they will be equal (not equitable, that is a very different word),” Hegseth is expected to say .

Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson and her nonprofit group sent a letter yesterday asking the Senate Armed Services Committee to allow an alleged victim of sexual assault to testify anonymously at Hegseth's confirmation hearing.

“The alleged survivor must be afforded the opportunity to provide testimony to your committee anonymously, as rape victims are routinely allowed to do in a court of law. No survivor of sexual violence must endure the death threats, the doxing and the professional and personal destruction that comes simply from having the courage to speak out against a high profile nominee,” reads the letter from the nonprofit Lift Our Voices which was obtained by NBC News. The committee confirmed receipt of the letter.

Carlson, who alleges she experienced sexual misconduct while she was working at Fox, co-founded Lift Our Voices, which advocates against nondisclosure agreements in the workplace.

Today’s confirmation hearing is one of many scheduled for this week.

Tomorrow, Senate committees will hold hearings for seven of Trump's planned nominees: Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for secretary of state; former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for attorney general; South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for secretary of homeland security; former Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought for his old post; former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., for transportation secretary; former National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe for CIA director; and Liberty Energy founder Chris Wright for energy secretary.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., warned that Trump's pick will be “demeaned” and “ripped” during the confirmation process before he makes it “across the finish line.”

"Now this group of Democrats, they’re there to stop Donald Trump from achieving his agenda, and it all starts tomorrow with Pete," Tuberville said at a news conference yesterday.

“We don’t need a general from the Pentagon. We’ve tried that. We need a drill sergeant, somebody that’s been in two wars, somebody that understands camaraderie and team and work ethic and time restraint and respect, personal respect, believing in yourself. First, we've got to get all that back,” said Tuberville, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which will hear Hegseth's testimony at today's confirmation hearing.

A group of veterans wearing pins supporting Hegseth have gathered outside the Senate confirmation hearing room.

While Hegseth is likely to be asked about allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking and mismanagement in his previous jobs at today's confirmation hearing, some current and former military officers say his strident statements about war crimes prosecutions of U.S. troops — and his advocacy for service members who were convicted by fellow service members — risk undermining core principles that have shaped the American military for decades.

A current U.S. military officer who asked not to be named said Hegseth’s stance “should be disqualifying.” And Paul Eaton, a retired Army major general, said Hegseth’s support for service members accused of — or convicted of — crimes on the battlefield could have ripple effects through the military.

“He condoned murder and execution,” Eaton said, referring to Hegseth’s past in cases as a Fox News contributor. “That will create a stunning problem for every senior noncommissioned officer out there, every leader down to the squad leader.”

Read the full story here.

The FBI background check on Hegseth does not include interviews with Hegseth’s ex-wives or with the woman who accused him of sexual assault in a California hotel room in 2017, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the contents of the report.

It is standard protocol to interview current and former spouses in FBI background checks, according to two other sources familiar with the process. But it is also contingent on cooperation from the interviewees, and it is not clear whether the FBI attempted outreach to those people.

Read the full story here.