Pete Hegseth grilled in Senate hearing, called ‘unqualified’ for Defence Secretary post

Hegseth shares a close rapport with Trump and is not free of controversies. He has often been spotted with Trump and is known to make contentious statements on defence-related matters Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s controversial pick for the Defence Secretary post, faced the Senate on Tuesday where he vowed to bring back “warrior culture” to the Pentagon if he is confirmed. As Hegseth walked into the packed hearing room, he was greeted with cheers and a standing ovation from supporters, with chants of “USA, USA, USA” and a shout of “Get ’em, Petey.” Senator Jack Reed grills Hegseth Senator Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who thinks Hegseth is unqualified for the post, posed tough questions to the army veteran. “As someone who’s led men in combat directly and had to make very difficult decisions, I thought very deeply about the balance between legality and lethality, ensuring that the men and women on the front lines have the opportunity to destroy with and close the enemy and that lawyers aren’t the ones getting in the way,” Hegseth replied. “Everything about men and women serving together makes the situation more complicated, and complication in combat, means casualties are worse,” Hegseth said during an interview.