What’s happening: With President-elect Donald Trump being sworn into office next Monday, Republicans in the Senate are working hard to get his nominees confirmed. Most hearings have been relatively ho-hum — except for Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth’s.
All eyes on Hegseth: Hegseth’s hearing was a raucous affair. Some Democrats tried to paint Hegseth as unqualified — with many, including Rhode Island’s Sen. Jack Reed (D), flatly telling him as much. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), was practically yelling at Hegseth over his previous statements on women serving in combat, accusing him of disliking moms.
Smear campaigns: Reed and others said Hegseth’s “alleged conduct” — unsubstantiated sexual assault allegations and past drinking issues — were an impediment to their voting for him.
Republican defense: Republican senators, by contrast, emphasized Hegseth’s combat history. Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) asked Hegseth the diameter of the rounds used in an M4 rifle and an M9 Beretta to highlight his knowledge of on-the-ground military practicalities.
Backfiring: Democrats’ attacks on Hegseth’s character were seen by some as going too far; Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), previously lukewarm, said attacks “fell flat.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) thinks he’ll be confirmed.
Over-performance: Going into his confirmation hearing, many analysts did not expect Hegseth to be confirmed due to his messy personal history. However, after holding his own and even impressing some Democratic lawmakers, he has taken the wind out of Democrats’ sails and is expected to have gained enough GOP support to be confirmed.
Clearing the path: With several more confirmation hearings this week, Hegseth may have cleared the way for them to have an easier path of approval. Why? Because months of smear campaigns and personal attacks cannot compete with displaying competency in the hot seat.
Why it matters: With Senate Democrats likely failing to take down Hegseth, they may have missed their chance to sink other — possibly weaker — nominees like Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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From the left: The left-leaning press focused their energy on Hegseth throughout the confirmation process, seeming to view his chances as the weakest. Outlets like The New Yorker have spent the past month excoriating Hegseth with multiple thinly-sourced hit pieces on his past history.
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