Senate panel advances Hegseth’s bid to become next defense secretary

Just hours after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Senate Armed Services Committee members voted along party lines to advance the new commander-in-chief’s pick to lead the Defense Department.

The vote likely sets up National Guard veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to take over the role as defense secretary sometime later this week, following a full Senate confirmation vote.

Democrats have strongly objected to Hegseth’s nomination, calling him too unqualified and inexperienced to lead the armed forces and its budget of more than $850 billion. They also spent much of his confirmation hearing highlighting allegations of sexual assault, drunkenness and unprofessional behavior leveled against him.

Ahead of Monday’s vote, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said that he believes Hegseth “doesn’t bring the kind of experience that prepares someone to do this massive job, and he was unable to answer direct questions at his hearing about concerning personal issues.” He was one of the 13 Democrats on the panel to vote against the confirmation.

But Hegseth, 44, has rebuffed those accusations and did not need any Democratic votes to have his nomination approved by the armed services committee. He also will not need any Democratic support to be confirmed by the full Republican-majority Senate.

Ahead of the committee vote Monday, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., called Hegseth “an unconventional pick just like Donald Trump was an unconventional candidate” and said he believes Hegseth can bring needed reforms to the armed forces.

“We need rapid change at scale in our Department of Defense, and Pete Hegseth has the determination and the tools to achieve real change,” Wicker said. “He will inject a new warrior ethos into the Pentagon, a spirit that can cascade from the top down.”

Hegseth’s 14 years as a National Guard soldier included tours in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan. His work earned him a Combat Infantryman’s Badge and two Bronze Stars.

During Trump’s first term in office, Hegseth worked closely with the White House on pardons and legal help for several troops accused of war crimes in operations overseas. He also led a pair of veterans advocacy groups before joining Fox, where he was a vocal on-air supporter of Trump.

At his confirmation hearing Jan. 14, Hegseth promised to eliminate “distractions” from military training and programs, to include diversity and anti-discrimination efforts. He pledged to fix the Pentagon’s business practices and restore U.S. military strength, which he insisted has waned in recent years.

“When President Trump chose me for this position, the primary charge he gave was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense,” Hegseth told senators. “He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards and readiness. That is my job.”

That job could start by the end of the week. Senate Republican leaders have already indicated that they hope to have a final confirmation vote by Thursday at the latest. That would allow Hegseth to be sworn in as the 29th Secretary of Defense by the weekend.