Senate Armed Services Democrats argue allegations against Hegseth should disqualify him from leading Pentagon

By Rashard Rose and Morgan Rimmer, CNN

(CNN) — A group of Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee has argued in a new letter that allegations against Pete Hegseth should disqualify him from serving as the next defense secretary.

Hegseth, who President-elect Donald Trump chose last month as his pick to run the Pentagon, has been on Capitol Hill in recent days in a bid to garner enough support from senators to earn confirmation to the role.

“We write to express deep concerns about whether Pete Hegseth’s attitudes toward women, including allegations of sexual assault and harassment, disqualify him to be the next Secretary of Defense,” the Democrats, led by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, wrote Tuesday in a letter to Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff.

Hegseth, a veteran and former Fox News anchor, has faced a tough confirmation process as allegations emerged related to his workplace behavior and treatment of women, including a surfaced sexual assault accusation from 2017. Hegseth has denied wrongdoing, and no charges were brought over the 2017 allegation.

The group of Democrats also warned in the letter of the consequences of Hegseth’s previous comments that women should not serve in combat roles, which he has since attempted to clarify.

“Mr. Hegseth’s ill-informed views ignore the significant role women have played in combat roles for the United States of America. His dismissal of women as warfighters drives away both potential recruits and women who are already serving in the armed forces. At a time when DOD is struggling to build up military enlistments, Mr. Hegseth’s comments disqualify him to serve as the Secretary of Defense,” wrote the senators.

Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth, Kirsten Gillibrand, Mazie Hirono, Tim Kaine and Jacky Rosen also signed on to the letter. Duckworth served in Iraq and lost both of her legs, as well as partial use of her right arm, when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the Blackhawk helicopter she was flying.

The push from the Democrats alone, however, is not expected to hurt Hegseth’s chances. Trump has vowed to stand behind his pick, and the nominee needs to earn a simple majority in the Senate — where Republicans will hold 53 seats in the new Congress — to clinch confirmation.

The group of Democrats has also asked Trump’s transition team to answer several questions about Hegseth by December 30.

CNN has reached out to the Trump transition team for comment on the letter.

Hegseth has made a number of controversial statements related to national security issues, including saying in a podcast interview last month that “we should not have women in combat roles.” Hegseth told CNN last week he supports “all women serving in our military,” when asked about his previous comments. CNN also reported that in private discussions with senators, Hegseth has indicated he is not against women serving in combat roles so long as they meet a standard set for all warfighters.

While Senate Democrats staged dramatic showdowns to protest nominations during Trump’s first term in office, CNN previously reported that Democrats are now shifting tactics, reluctant to pick endless battles with Trump Cabinet picks that are unlikely to succeed.

Democrats are looking to implement a deliberate and disciplined strategy in Trump’s second term: pointing out the places where they could work with a nominee when they see fit and forcing Republicans to defend Trump’s picks when a nominee faces ethics questions, has a history of controversial statements or doesn’t have what Democrats view as the necessary qualifications for the job.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.