Trump’s Pentagon nominee faces allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse, set to testify in high-stakes hearing

Pete Hegseth, the controversial⁢ nominee for US secretary of ‍defense chosen by Donald Trump, is set to appear before a Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. As a military veteran ⁢and Fox News host, Hegseth is under‌ intense scrutiny for allegations of sexual‌ assault, excessive alcohol use, ⁤and financial mismanagement.

The Senate armed services committee will meet at 9:30 am ET on Tuesday to question Hegseth.‌ His ‌path to confirmation⁢ is uncertain as he can only afford to lose the votes of three Senate⁣ Republicans. Concerns have been raised by several Republican members regarding ⁤Hegseth’s personal history and his stance on women in the military.

In ⁣2017, allegations surfaced that Hegseth sexually assaulted a woman by blocking her from⁣ leaving ⁣a hotel room. While he denied the accusation, it was revealed that a settlement was paid to the woman. Additionally, reports claim that ⁢Hegseth often got heavily intoxicated at work ⁣events and⁢ used official funds for personal expenses while leading Concerned Veterans for America.

Hegseth’s controversial⁣ remarks about women‌ in combat ‍roles and gay troops being part of a “Marxist agenda” have further fueled criticism against him. Despite attempts to backtrack ⁢on these comments recently, concerns remain.

In response to ⁣the backlash, Hegseth defended himself in a Wall Street Journal op-ed accusing media outlets of orchestrating a smear campaign against him ‍without evidence or support‌ from ⁤those who know him well.

While Trump’s‍ Republican allies express confidence in Hegseth’s confirmation chances, Democratic senators like Jack Reed remain skeptical about his qualifications to ⁢lead such an important government agency.

2025-01-14 07:00:26
Original from www.theguardian.com