Trump's defence chief pick questioned over alcohol use and his views on women in military

BBC

14 January 2025 at 2:30 pm·1-min read

Former Fox News host and military veteran Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's nominee for defence secretary, faced four hours of grilling by the Senate Armed Services Committee
He was challenged over previous comments made about women in the military; elsewhere he vowed to restore a "warrior ethos" to the Pentagon
Hegseth also dismissed questions over reports of his heavy drinking, calling them a "smear campaign"
The hearing was disrupted several times as Hegseth attempted to deliver his opening statement, with police removing protesters from the committee room, the BBC's Rachel Looker reports
The strategy to undermine his nomination appears likely to focus on three key areas: his qualifications, management experience and misconduct allegations, Anthony Zurcher writes
Hegseth is the first of Trump's nominees to be grilled as part of a process that will see them either approved or rejected for the roles the president-elect has nominated them for

Trump's defence chief pick questioned over alcohol use and his views on women in military

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