Name: Nomination Hearings to Kick Off With Hegseth: Here’s What to Watch
Uploaded: 2025-01-14T15:12:19.000Z
Description: The U.S. Senate is set to begin hearings on Jan. 14 to consider the first of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

Jack Bradley is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Jack previously anchored "NTD Newsroom" and worked as an assistant producer for the show. 

Jack Bradley

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the U.S. and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

China’s Broken Promises Loom Over New Trade Deals

David Lam is a national correspondent based in California and a part-time anchor for "NTD Tonight." Before joining NTD he was a financial analyst.

David Lam

Californians React as Trump Calls for Gas Tax Suspension

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

Federal Agencies Announce ‘Summer Surge’ of Law Enforcement into DC Ahead of 250th Anniversary

Christina Corona is a California-based reporter for NTD News. She primarily covers California news, politics, and entertainment.  

Christina Corona

Trump Administration Reports Zero Border Releases

Arian Pasdar is an international correspondent for NTD News based in South America. His reporting focuses on immigration and key events in Latin America.

Arian Pasdar

US to Host 1st Ever World Cup Final Halftime Show, Featuring Shakira, Madonna

Savannah Pointer is a politics reporter for The Epoch Times. She can be reached at savannah.pointer@epochtimes.us

Savannah Hulsey Pointer

Jason Perry is an Army veteran and NTD's National Security Correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Jason primarily covers border security, national defense, foreign wars, and veterans' issues.

Jason Perry

Health News

Texas Children's Hospital to Open First-Ever Detransition Clinic Under Deal With DOJ

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

Citizens Honor Police for Their Service and Sacrifice

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

Trump ‘Projecting American Influence and Leadership’ on Iran Issue in Beijing: China Expert

Chris Bob is a reporter for NTD and a host of "Profiles of Service." He is also a small business owner. Chris graduated from Union College with a concentration in politics and religion in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Chris Bob

Senate Panel Advances Crypto Regulation Bill

Jason Blair is a national correspondent for NTD News based in California. 

Jason Blair

Lawmakers Weigh ‘Sanctuary’ Polices After Woman’s Death in Virginia

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 15)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 14)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 11)

Don Ma is an anchor and senior business correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Don is the anchor and producer of NTD's "Business Matters," which airs weekdays at 4:30 pm ET.

Don Ma

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 10)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 9)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 7)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 6)

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

The U.S. Senate is set to begin hearings on Jan. 14 to consider the first of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

Much of the attention during the hearings is likely to focus on Pete Hegseth, a former Minnesota Army National Guard officer, whom Trump has nominated for the role of secretary of defense.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, leading off Hegseth's confirmation process, could question him about his plans to reorient the military's warfighting focus and his views on women serving in combat roles.

Separately, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee had scheduled a Tuesday hearing to consider Trump's nomination of former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. It has since postponed the hearing to Jan. 21.

The first hearing could set the tone for a slew of additional confirmation hearings this week, ahead of Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

Republicans hold a 53–47 majority in the Senate, leaving Trump’s nominees with little room to succeed if several Republicans break ranks.
<h2>Warfighting Focus</h2>
Hegseth has signaled that if he is confirmed as defense secretary, he will place a renewed focus on warfighting. In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity in December 2024, Hegseth said Trump told him to “get in there and clean out all the social justice and politically correct garbage” and “get back to lethality, warfighting, accountability, meritocracy, and readiness.”

Addressing the topic of women in combat in an early December 2024 interview on "The Megyn Kelly Show," Hegseth said his primary focus is not on barring women from combat roles but on ensuring that standards aren’t lowered simply to make those roles easier for women to enter.

“If we have the right standard and women meet that standard, roger, let's go,” he said. “If they can't—and that's a product of physical differences because the standard's high—then that's just the reality.”

In a Nov. 7, 2024, interview with podcast host and former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan, Hegseth said the placement of women in combat roles so far hasn’t made the military more effective, hasn’t made the military more lethal, and has made fighting more complicated.

Seven Senate Democrats authored a Dec. 17, 2024, <a href="https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_susan_wiles_re_hegseth_nomination.pdf">letter</a> declaring that Hegseth’s comments about women in combat, as well as allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017, are disqualifying for his nomination.
<h2>Countering US Adversaries</h2>
Hegseth’s confirmation hearing will also likely focus on his plans to lead the U.S. military amid rising competition with conventional military powers such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

In 2020, the Chinese regime <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2020/sep/01/2002488689/-1/-1/1/2020-dod-china-military-power-report-final.pdf">overtook</a> the United States as the nation with the largest naval fleet by sheer number of ships. China has continued to expand this lead while the U.S. fleet size has stagnated.

Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine has also tested the U.S. military-industrial base. In his November 2024 interview with Ryan, Hegseth said he had spoken to U.S. artillery troops who have seen their training time cut because so much of the U.S. supply of artillery shells is being diverted to Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian soldiers fire a M777 howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on March 17, 2023. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

North Korea and Iran have reportedly supplied Russian forces with missiles, artillery shells, and one-way attack drones.

Western officials have said that they believe that Pyongyang has sent thousands of its troops to help Moscow in the ongoing fighting in its western Kursk region. Last week, outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/russia-may-soon-share-space-tech-with-north-korea-blinken-5786928">warned</a> that Russia may soon transfer advanced space and satellite technology to North Korea in exchange for Pyongyang’s troops.

Israel has struck Iran and degraded Iranian-backed forces throughout the Middle East over the past year. Still, some threats, such as Houthi terrorists in Yemen, continue to pose challenges for Israel.
<h2>Hegseth’s Personal Record</h2>
Beyond policy, Hegseth could face scrutiny over his personal life.

Some of that controversy has centered around allegations that Hegseth drinks alcohol in excess.

In his interview with journalist and podcaster Megyn Kelly, Hegseth said he has no drinking problem and pledged not to drink at all while serving as defense secretary.

“In a combat zone, you're not allowed to drink,” said Hegseth, who saw combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantry officer.

“That's how I view this role, as secretary of defense, is that I'm not going to have a drink at all, and it's not hard for me because it's not a problem for me.

“But I need to make sure the senators and the troops and President Trump and everybody else knows, when you call me 24/7, you're getting fully dialed in Pete, just like you always did in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

He is also facing scrutiny regarding allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017. He reached a settlement agreement with the unnamed accuser, but the allegations resurfaced after Trump nominated him for the Pentagon role.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of defense, and his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, walk through the Hart Senate Office building in Washington on Dec. 11, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Hegseth has said that it was wrong for him to become sexually involved with his accuser while married but has maintained that the 2017 encounter with the other woman was consensual. His attorneys have said that his accuser may face a defamation lawsuit if she publicizes any false claims about the incident.

“I've been honest about that encounter, starting with law enforcement, from the beginning,” Hegseth told Kelly last month. “I may have been drinking, but I was cognizant enough to remember every single detail.”

Among those still undecided on Hegseth’s nomination are Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). Hegseth has met with both lawmakers in recent weeks, and they have said that they had substantive discussions.

In a Dec. 15, 2024, interview with WMTW in Maine, Collins said her conversation with Hegseth covered both his views on women in combat and the sexual assault allegation he faces.

“I have been insistent on an FBI background check that, in his case, can investigate and probe the allegations that have been made against him,” Collins said.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) speaks with reporters after meeting with Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be defense secretary, on Capitol Hill on Dec. 11, 2024. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

So far, Trump has stood by Hegseth for the Pentagon position.

"Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe," Trump said in a Dec. 6, 2024, <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113605996857369106">post</a> on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Trump went on to describe Hegseth as a winner and wrote, "There is nothing that can be done to change that!!!"

Outside his military career, Hegseth has been a mainstay on Fox News, providing political commentary across the network.

He has also written multiple books, the most recent of which is “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.” The book raises concerns that U.S. military leadership has been prioritizing political issues over maintaining warfighting capabilities.

The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington on March 3, 2022. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)

The American Accountability Foundation (AAF), a self-described conservative nonprofit government watchdog, has already begun compiling a <a href="https://americanaccountabilityfoundation.com/blog/2024/12/09/aaf-letter-to-hegseth-lists-woke-ideologues-in-military/">list</a> of high-ranking military officers they believe have been too focused on promoting political ideology and whom Hegseth should drive out of the military if he becomes defense secretary.

Hegseth could be questioned about whether he will act on the AAF list and his broader plans for reforming the military.

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/in-senate-nomination-hearings-to-kick-off-with-hegseth-heres-what-to-watch-5791340">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Latest

Videos

Politics

Latest Clips

Management

Congress

Donald Trump

Luis Eduardo Martinez is a correspondent for NTD News based in Washington. He holds a master’s degree in International Relations and Democratic Politics from the University of Westminster in London, England.

Luis Eduardo Martinez

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.