Hegseth hits back at misconduct allegations in contentious hearing

Hegseth has denied accusations of sexual misconduct, heavy drinking and more.

ByAlexandra Hutzler and Ivan Pereira
Last Updated: January 14, 2025, 1:54 PM EST

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's embattled pick for defense secretary, faced senators on Tuesday for a contentious confirmation hearing.

Hegseth was grilled by members of the Armed Services Committee on allegations of misconduct and sexual impropriety he's denied -- as well as his position on military policy issues, including women in combat and diversity goals.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing:
Jan 14, 2025, 12:38 PM EST

Several Democrats say Hegseth ignored requests for meetings

Several Democratic senators have said Hegseth did not respond to their requests for one-on-one meetings ahead of Tuesday's hearings.

Hegseth spent a notable amount of time on Capitol Hill since his nomination as he looked to shore up support amid the allegations of misconduct.

"I was ready," Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, told Hegseth as he asked him if he was "afraid" to meet with some of his colleagues.

Jan 14, 2025, 12:35 PM EST

Tuberville praises Hegseth

Sen. Tommy Tuberville spent most of his questioning praising Hegseth.

The Alabama Republican and former Auburn University football coach made an analogy to football to the confirmation process.

"I came from a team sport where you were the people, the players actually won the games. And that's what's going to happen here. You're not going to win the game now. You're going to set the precedent," he said.

Tuberville continued the Republican questioning about the "woke" military and Hegseth again committed to focusing on leadership that focused on military values.

Jan 14, 2025, 12:22 PM EST

'I've dedicated my life to the warfighters,' Hegseth says on what drives him

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott asked Hegseth why he wanted the job and what drives him.

Hegseth took a few seconds to collect his thoughts and responded that he loved his country and was "dedicated my life to the warfighters."

"People that really know me know where my heart's at. It's with the guys in this audience who've had my back, and I've had theirs," he said.

Jan 14, 2025, 12:17 PM EST

Senator tries to pin down Hegseth's view on the Geneva Conventions

Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine pressed Hegseth several times on whether he would abide by the Geneva Conventions, a 1949 set of agreements regulating the use of force during wartime that forbids torture.

Hegseth argued the applications of the Geneva Conventions are "incredibly important" but that the rules of engagement have changed for troops since then.

"The Geneva Conventions are what we base our -- but what an "American First" national security policy is not going to do is hand its prerogatives over to international bodies that make decisions about how our men and women make decisions on the battlefield," Hegseth said.