Pete HeGSeth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, will face a tough confirmation hearing

The Senate Minority Leader’s Report on the Senate Armed Services Panel. Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard and former Fox News host

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the post is “arguably the most important position in the entire Cabinet.” He said Hegseth’s background was “deeply troubling,” and he could expect the hearing to be “tough but respectful, candid but fair.”

Hegseth made a point to smooth things over with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, an Army combat veteran who serves on the Senate Armed Services panel. After his initial meeting with him, it appeared that Ernst had some remaining concerns. She released a statement saying that he changed his view on women in the military. Other GOP senators said Hegseth committed to not touching alcohol if he was confirmed to the post.

Some Republicans, like Sen. Susan Collins,R-Maine, have warned that the public hearing will be important.

Hegseth’s prospects improved once Trump backed him publicly in his first post-election broadcast interview, invited him to the Army-Navy game last month and urged GOP lawmakers to get in line. threats of Republican challengers to run against anyone who opposed him were just one of the tactics used by Trump allies in recent weeks. Trump supporters have also dismissed news reports about his past behavior, saying the information has come primarily from anonymous sources.

The man paid the woman in a settlement after denying an assault accusation, his lawyer has said. He would give up booze if he became defense secretary, he told Megyn Kelly in December.

In the weeks following his nomination in mid-November, Hegseth’s nomination appeared to be on shaky ground. Senate Republicans openly expressed concerns about a potential drinking problem, previous statements about women serving in combat and allegations of sexual misconduct. Some news outlets reported the transition was reviewing back up nominees for the post as the questions swirled.

The organization has employees who have made allegations of drinking on the job, fiscal mismanagement and inappropriate conduct with staff. He is accused by former colleagues at Fox News of acting in a way that was inappropriate.

Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host, faces a critical test in his public hearing before the Senate Armed Services committee Tuesday to serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary.

What does this role do: The defense secretary oversees the U.S. armed forces, second only to the president as the commander in chief, and is a senior member of the Cabinet.

The Secretaries of State: “China House” Senate John Hegseth, Secretary of State, and Minority Causality

Democrats are saying they plan to press Hegseth on a range of issues including his experience to lead a department with 3 million employees, news reports about mismanagement at a non-profit he led, and an incident of alleged sexual misconduct.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., told reporters he was reviewing the questionnaire that Hegseth submitted to the panel. “The personal stuff aside — it’s a hard job; I think it’s one of the hardest jobs on the planet and I’m very interested in hearing what he has to say about his experience in his adult life, in his career that has prepared him for this position.”

The FBI’s background check was given to the committee by the Trump transition but he and other Democrats pressed for it, even though he wanted to review it.

The secretary of state oversees the U.S.’s foreign policy, but Trump has already taken over some of that work by appointing special envoys to Palestine and Lebanon. He has named Richard Grenell, a long-time foreign policy adviser, to serve as an envoy for special missions. “Ric will work in some of the hottest places around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea,” Trump said in a posting on his social media platform.

The outgoing Biden administration has made it a priority to build up alliances in Asia to counter China’s rise. “China House” at the State Department draws on experts from across the US government to focus on China. It could be an office that Rubio would want to keep.

China has imposed sanctions on Rubio, which could make travel there difficult. The Uyghur Muslim people have been the subject of a “grotesque campaign of genocide” by China, according to testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. This human rights advocacy has put him at odds with Musk, who was in support of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

He may face tough questions about why he voted against aid to Ukraine, despite his previous positions on Russia’s war there. He may also face questions about how his interventionist foreign policy views clash with Trump’s positions.

You might know him from: The Senate and the 2016 Republican presidential primary race, when Trump dubbed him “Little Marco” and Rubio warned voters not to support Trump, saying “friends do not let friends vote for con artists.”

Among President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks, secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio may face the easiest confirmation process. He’s well known by the lawmakers who will be questioning him at 10 a.m. on Wednesday because he is a long time member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

A confirmation would make the Florida Republican the first Latino to serve as America’s top diplomat. Born in Florida, the son of Cuban immigrants was first elected senator in 2010 and gained a reputation as a hawkish voice on China, Cuba, Venezuela and Iran.

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