What had to be a routine process with little expectation has become a review of the problems with alcohol, sexist comments and allegations of sexual assault by the future head of Defense, Pete Hegseth. The former Fox presenter appeared before the Armed Services Committee this Tuesday to undergo the hearing prior to certification of the position. The session, which lasted more than three hours, ended without reaching the confirmation process and will be resumed later.
The Democratic opposition does not have enough votes to prevent Hegseth from receiving certification from the Upper House as long as Republicans remain united. The last hope of the Democrats is to sow doubt and divide the senators of the president-elect, Donald Trump, which has turned this Tuesday’s examination into a fierce questioning of all the dirty laundry and controversial statements by Hegseth. The goal was to appeal to Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst, who is a veteran who suffered sexual assault in the past.
Ernst, who had previously been critical of Hegseth, has not expressed displeasure with the Trump candidate’s responses about the role of women in the military and policies to prevent sexual assault. Ernst has focused on agreeing with Hegseth’s statements about the need to audit the Pentagon.
Hegseth, a former Army major who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, has also been questioned for his inexperience leading organizations. The former Fox anchor, if certified, will have under his control a department with almost three million employees. In response to Democratic Senator Gary Peters, Hegseth acknowledged that he has never led a team with more than a couple hundred people.
Regarding the sexual assault complaint filed against him in 2017, Hegseth has insisted that the sexual encounter was consensual. The case did not go further, because he paid a confidential settlement to the woman to avoid a possible lawsuit. Still, Hegseth has insisted on the fact that he was “completely exonerated,” as an argument that this is an alleged false complaint.
Reports of his heavy drinking have been harder to deny for Hegseth, who has insisted to his Republican colleagues that he will not drink while on duty. Now, when a senator has tried to get Hegseth to promise to resign from office if he drinks again, the candidate has avoided making such a promise.
“I am not a perfect person, but redemption is real,” Hegseth has defended himself, who has also had the support of Republican senators who have supported his arguments. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., has pointed to Democrats’ questions regarding Hegseth’s alcohol use, asking: “How many senators have come to vote drunk at night?” And then he added: “Don’t tell me you haven’t seen it, because I know you have seen it.”
End the “woke agenda”
During the hearing, Hegseth has adopted a more conciliatory tone than on previous occasions and has retracted some of his previous statements. After repeatedly saying that women should not fight and that inclusion, equity and diversity (DEI) policies have lowered military standards.
On Shawn Ryan’s podcast on November 7, Hegseth was very explicit about his view of women: “I’m directly saying that we shouldn’t have women in combat roles. It hasn’t made us more effective. It hasn’t made us more lethal. “It has complicated the fight.” However, this Tuesday he moderated his position on passing the certification and insisted that those comments referred to existing standards: “What I know to be true is that the weight of the equipment on your back does not change.” And he added: “Our standards will be high and they will be equal, not equitable.”
Despite trying to qualify the sexist comments, Hegseth has insisted that the ideology woke It has weakened the Pentagon and worsened troop levels. He has even stated that the troops will be “happy” to see how the “agenda” is put to an end. woke”. Around 43% of the 1.3 million men and women in the workforce are black or minority ethnic people.
Holding the Pentagon “accountable”
Hegseth has also not hidden from senators his intention to purge the Pentagon, although this is an idea that aligns perfectly with Trump’s plans. Reuters has already reported that the presidential transition team is preparing lists of military officers who will be fired and where there could be names of the General Staff.
The future head of Defense has promised that it will be up to the senior military commanders to “be held accountable.” “Accountability is at hand, because everyone in this room knows that if you are a soldier and you lose your weapon, the full weight of the law will be applied to you. But if you are a general who loses a war, you get promoted,” said Hegseth, who added: “Everyone, from the highest general to the most humble private, (we will make sure) that they are treated fairly.”
Does not close the door to attack Greenland
The scrutinizing interview by the Democratic senators has not only brought to light the candidate’s dirty laundry, but also provides a glimpse of what the Department of Defense will be under his command. Hegseth has stated that he will return “warrior culture” to the Pentagon and that he will be an agent of change in favor of Trump.
Such is his willingness to follow the magnate’s orders that when asked if he would use American troops to invade Greenland if Trump asked him to, Hegseth refused to answer the question. The island, located in the Arctic, is part of Denmark, a NATO ally.
Similarly, Hawaii’s Democratic senator, Mazie Hinoro, has asked him if he would comply with an order for the military to shoot the legs of protesters. Hinoro referred to when former Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, revealed how Trump had put on the table the possibility of shooting the legs of protesters outside the White House during the Black Lives Matter protests.
Hegseth has avoided giving a specific answer and has said that he saw “Secret Service agents injured by rioters who were trying to jump the fence.” The senator interrupted him: “That sounds to me like I would comply with such an order.”
Source: www.eldiario.es
