President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, faced a Senate grilling on Tuesday as lawmakers determine whether they will vote in support of the nominee.
Hegseth faced intense questioning from Democrats in his Armed Services Committee hearing, including his previous comments related to women serving in military combat roles, and was also interrupted by protesters who disturbed the hearing at some points.
Trump nominated Hegseth in November, just days after his decisive election win over Vice President Harris, lauding him ‘as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country.’
After Hegseth wrapped up his hours-long hearing, Fox News Digital compiled the top five moments.
Hegseth’s emotional opening remarks
Hegseth’s opening remarks during the hearing were interrupted by a handful of protesters as they shouted at the nominee about the war in Israel and called him a ‘Christian Zionist’ and a ‘misogynist.’
‘Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza,’ one female protester in fatigues shouts as she’s escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows.
At least three protesters were seen being hauled out of the hearing in zip ties or with their hands behind their backs.
‘You are a misogynist,’ one protester shouts at Hegseth.
‘Thank you for figuratively and literally having my back,’ Hegseth said after he was interrupted, returning to his opening statement. ‘I pledge to do the same for all of you.’
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Hegseth about the protesters during his hearing, including the war in Israel that has been ongoing since October 2023.
‘Another protester, and I think this one was a member of Code Pink, which, by the way, is a Chinese communist front group these days, said that you support Israel’s war in Gaza. I support Israel’s existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well,’ Cotton said.
‘I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas,’ Hegseth responded.
‘And the third protester said something about 20 years of genocide. I assume that’s our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think our troops are committing genocide in Iraq and Afghanistan?’ Cotton continued.
‘Senator, I do not. I think … our troops, as you know, as so many in this committee know, did the best they could with what they had. … And tragically, the outcome we saw in Afghanistan under the Biden administration put a stain on that, but it doesn’t put a stain on what those men and women did in uniform, as you know full well, Senator,’ Hegseth responded.
