On the evening of Jan. 25, Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate, confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. This vote has come after weeks of allegations against Hegseth regarding alcoholism and sexual misconduct made by his former coworkers and ex-wives, which he denied in his confirmation hearing.
A New Yorker article published in early December uncovered disturbing reports of alcohol abuse from whistleblowers at Concerned Veterans for America, the nonprofit where Hegseth served as President. The article stated that Hegseth was frequently intoxicated during work hours, fostered a hostile environment as president and ignored reports by his team members regarding sexual assaults. Another letter sent to the nonprofit’s management reported that Hegseth chanted “Kill all Muslims” while drunk in the early hours of the morning.
Another allegation brought against Hegseth during his hearings concerned his payout of $50,000 in a 2017 sexual assault case brought against him. The woman who received the payout alleged that Hegseth sexually assaulted her after speaking at a Republican women’s event in California. Hegseth’s lawyer claims that he paid the woman to keep her from filing a lawsuit that could have gotten him fired by Fox News, calling it “blackmail.” However, Hegseth has been steadfast in his denial of these allegations.
Additionally, Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, has accused him of domestic abuse in an affidavit which states that his ex-wife, Samantha Deering, was occasionally scared of him and used a code word with Danielle when she needed help. It also included a firsthand account of his alcohol abuse. This affidavit was given to the Senate Armed Services Committee a day after its initial approval of his nomination and a week after his first hearing.
Despite the multiple allegations against Hegseth, the Senate nonetheless confirmed him as Secretary of Defense. However, Hegseth should not have been allowed to assume this critical role or even be nominated in the first place. Beyond the allegations against him, Hegseth’s qualifications fall short in comparison to previous Defense Secretary. For example, Leon Panetta, who held the role in the early years of the Obama administration, was the former White House Chief of Staff and Director of the CIA. Even President Donald Trump’s first nominee for the role in 2017, James Mattis, was a retired four-star general in the Marine Corps. Hegseth’s highest military rank, however, was Major in the National Guard. His work as an investment banker and a TV Personality at Fox News is irrelevant to serving as Secretary of Defense.
Hegseth also holds extremist and sexist views, especially relating to the role of women in the military. During his hearings, he refused to answer a question about authorizing the use of force on civilian protesters. Hegseth is not qualified to run a branch of the government. President Trump seems to have nominated him because Hesgeth would do whatever is asked of him, no matter the cost.
President Trump has effectively gone against the executive order he recently signed in his first few days in office, claiming that people must be hired based on merit. Pete Hegseth is an abuser, an alcoholic and lacks the experience required to run the Department of Defense. During his time as Defense Secretary, he will serve as a puppet for President Trump rather than acting in the interests of the Defense Department and the country as a whole.