Pete Hegseth’s Senate Hearing: Allegations and Implications
Trump’s unqualified nominee for Secretary of Defense faces toxic hearing in the Senate
As the transition to the Trump administration ramps up, the push for cabinet confirmations has gone into full gear. That push, which has been ongoing since President-elect Trump won in November, is becoming increasingly toxic, with Pete Hegseth’s confirmation scheduled for tomorrow. Hegseth, who has an extensive list of allegations of sexual and professional misconduct, including an assault allegation, will have to face the Senate’s intensive questioning, but recent reporting shows that the effort to protect Hegseth from accountability is already in place.1 2If this effort is defeated, it would be yet another example of an alleged sexual predator nominated by Trump getting the boot.
Meeting the Potential Defense Secretary
When it comes to the nomination of Hegseth, it is painfully clear that the incoming Trump administration has very little concern for allegations of sexual misconduct, least of all because of credible allegations against Trump himself. 3 Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa in California. Hegseth paid the woman to keep silent but continued to deny the allegations, noting that no charges were filed. 4
Hegseth also has a history of bigoted and ridiculous defenses of sexual assault. In an article he edited for his conservative paper, The Princeton Tory, Hegseth published an article that argued that having sex with a woman who passes out from drinking is not “…a clear case of rape” because there would be no distress. Needless to say, such arguments betray deep-seated issues with the rights of women. The most blatant of which is his consent issue. 5
When the allegations came out last year, Steven Cheung, the president-elect’s communications director, said, “President Trump is nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his administration…Mr. Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed. We look forward to his confirmation…” This response, which deliberately downplays the allegations against Hegseth, is part of a larger pattern in politics, especially on the right, where women’s concerns and voices are ignored at the earliest convenience of the men in power. It is disgusting but not surprising.
Nominating Predators
The sad reality is that Hegseth is not the first or the only current nominee for a position of power that has sexual assault allegations against them. Previously, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was selected to be Trump’s attorney general, was credibly accused of having sex with a minor. That allegation was further reinforced by a House ethics report released late last year. Gaetz left his position in the House to avoid the release of said report, but the House Ethics Committee decided to release it despite his departure. Gaetz dropped out of the nomination process before taking a position at the far-right outlet Newsmax.6 7 8
Throughout that process, Donald Trump and his ilk didn’t so much as suggest that Gaetz was in the wrong, accepting his withdrawal and replacing him. This connection to predator nominees didn’t end with Gaetz. RFK Jr., who Trump wants to run the Department of Health and Human Services, has allegations of sexual assault against him by a former babysitter, Eliza Cooney. RFK Jr. has yet to drop out of the nomination process for HHS director and is unlikely to do so. RFK Jr. isn’t exactly known for his good judgment.9 10
This is to say that if these men are confirmed, it will serve as another example of powerful men protecting themselves from the consequences of their actions.
Protecting Predators
While nothing is guaranteed, Hegseth still could face pushback in the Senate. However, Republicans push loyalty to Hegseth and Trump as hard as possible. Kate Kelly and Kenneth P. Vogel explain in The New York Times that:
Outside groups are promoting Mr. Hegseth in myriad ways.
Officials from a conservative advocacy group called Article III Project have appeared on television and on podcasts, including Mr. Bannon’s, to encourage listeners to use their website to contact senators in support of Mr. Hegseth. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and a linked advocacy group, are spending $1 million on ads and other efforts supporting the potential defense secretary and other Trump nominees.
Building America’s Future, a nonprofit group that spent $45 million supporting Mr. Trump’s campaign directly and through allied super PACs, has aired more than $500,000 in ads on Fox News and elsewhere, saying Mr. Hegseth is the victim of a “deep state” campaign to sink his nomination.
And on Tuesday, just before Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, a group of Navy SEALs and other veterans plan to rally in support of Mr. Hegseth at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington — an effort promoted by Mr. Bannon. 11
This support is not only corrupt, as the people pushing it are more concerned with getting one of their allies into a position of power, but it also demonstrates that the GOP is less concerned about evaluating the validity of the allegations at all. Unfortunately, the FBI also seems uninterested in getting to the truth.
According to NBC News, the FBI’s background check into Hegseth doesn’t include interviews with any of Hegseth’s ex-wives or the woman who accused him of rape.12 Senate Democrats have been concerned about the background check, with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) warning that “…we have been denied access to some of the materials and documents and other information, including the FBI report, that may contain information forthcoming during the hearing.”
If senators, who are expected to send Hegseth to one of the most important positions in the government, are not even getting the truth, what hope does the American public have? We saw a similar standard of poor investigation by the FBI during the Brett Kavanaugh investigation, which also ignored his accuser. 13The environment surrounding powerful men always seems to benefit those same men.
Conclusion
While it is difficult to determine how the hearings will go, it remains painfully clear that Hegseth has powerful backers, and with that backing comes a strong chance of confirmation. While I don’t want to undermine the hope that some are holding onto, I would be remiss if I didn’t note that powerful, partisan influences have helped predatory men before and are poised to do so again.
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