Five takeaways from the Pete Hegseth hearing

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, cleared his first hurdle on the path to confirmation: a long, and at times tense, hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

For more than four hours on Tuesday, Hegseth faced questions about his ability to lead the Department of Defence, including its three million staff and $849bn (£695bn) budget.

And although he was questioned by Democrats over accusations of sexual assault, infidelity and alcohol consumption In the workplace, it seems almost certain that he will be confirmed for the position after no Republicans have come out against him.

This was underscored later Tuesday when Joni Ernst, a Republican who had been seen as a possible obstacle to his nomination, said she would support him.

Here’s a look at the five main takeaways from Hegseth’s testimony.

From the very beginning of his testimony, Hegseth, a military veteran, He emphasized what he called a “warrior culture,” promising to refocus the Defense Department’s attention on the strength of the American military.

“Wars, lethality, meritocracy, standards and preparedness. That’s it. That’s my job,” he said in his opening remarks.

As the hearing progressed, Hegseth criticized policies that he believed harmed the military’s efficiency and “lethality,” namely efforts aimed at racial and gender diversity.

“This is not the time for equity,” he said, adding that he opposes quotas, which he says hurt morale.

In what became an expectedly partisan hearing, Democrats repeatedly grilled Hegseth about his past statements suggesting women were unfit to serve in combat roles in the military.

Questions along these lines from Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Mazie Hirono and Elizabeth Warren provided some of the most heated moments of the morning.

He spoke over Warren, a senator from Massachusetts, as she attempted to point out comments about female service members dating back years.

“Mr. Hegseth, I quote you on a podcast: ‘Women should not be in combat at all,'” Warren said.

Hegseth maintained his composure and responded by saying that his concern was not women in combat, but simply maintaining “standards” in the military.

Hegseth, who at 44 would be the youngest defense secretary in decades, also answered questions about his preparation to lead the sprawling Department of Defense.

The former Fox News host described himself as an “agent of change” and said “it’s time to hand the helm to someone with dust on their boots.”

Some Republicans considered Hegseth’s lack of experience a strength.

“I just want to say that despite all the talk of experience and not coming from the same cocktails that permanent Washington is used to, you are a breath of fresh air,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. .

Hegseth, a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Universities, was an infantry platoon leader at Guantanamo Bay and Iraq, and received the Bronze Star Medal. Hegseth, also a former Fox News TV host, also has military experience in Afghanistan.

Still, Democrats pressed Hegseth about his qualifications for the top military post. A US media report found that Hegseth’s tenure leading two veteran non-profits groups ended in financial chaos.

Combat veteran Tammy Duckworth focused on whether Hegseth had ever overseen an audit.

“Senator, in both organizations that I led, we were always completely fiscally responsible,” Hegseth began, before Duckworth intervened.

“Yes or no? Did you perform an audit? Don’t know this answer?” Duckworth said.

Some experts told the BBC that what surprised them most was how little Hegseth talked about how he would handle the military complexities of the job.

Aside from brief mentions of China and the war in Ukraine and Russia, senators did not ask Hegseth specifically about current conflicts or other potential military adversaries and strategic rivals.

Those fundamental questions were mostly “crowded out” by questions about Hegseth’s character and competence, said Mara Karlin, former undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities.

“What is surprising about the hearing is how little attention has been paid to the bread and butter of what the Secretary of Defense has to do, which is protect the nation and guarantee that there is an army capable of winning conflicts” Karlin said.

A 2017 sexual assault allegation in Monterey, California, which surfaced shortly after Trump tapped him for the Pentagon job, surfaced repeatedly.

According to a police report, an unnamed woman said Hegseth took her phone and blocked the door when she tried to leave her hotel room before sexually assaulting her.

Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing. His attorney acknowledged that Hegseth had paid an undisclosed amount to remain silent about the incident.

On Tuesday, Hegseth went mostly on the offensive, decrying a “coordinated smear campaign” orchestrated by the left-wing media. “They want to destroy me.”

But at other points in the hearing, Hegseth responded to questions about his conduct with passionate references to his Christian faith.

“I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real,” he said.