Republicans blustered for months on Hegseth’s questionable nomination. Then they did Trump’s bidding
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Republicans seem more than happy to drag Hegseth across the finish line, while Democrats miss easy layups, Eric Garcia and Andrew Feinberg write. Roger Wicker is hardly anyone’s idea of a far-right bomb thrower. When he opened the Senate Armed Services Committee’s confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Defense, he wore a lapel pin with the Ukrainian and U.S. flag on it.
![[Sen. Kirsten GIllibrand, D-Ny., grilled Hegseth about his previous comments in the US military]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/14/17/Trump_Cabinet_Hegseth_10417.jpg)
But the white-haired Mississippian began his questioning with his Southern drawl by bringing up allegations that Hegseth had sexually assaulted a woman — but pointedly noted the claims all came “from liberal media publications.”. That would set the tone for the rest of the extraordinary hearing, as multiple Republicans angled to defend Hegseth against damning misconduct claims and his past comments about women serving in the military.
The confirmation hearing comes about two months after Matt Gaetz, the firebrand former Florida congressman and Trump acolyte, rescinded his nomination to lead the Department of Justice as it became increasingly clear he lacked the necessary support. But Hegseth is different. After a few rocky weeks in late 2024 — when his nomination briefly appeared doomed — Republicans, with Trump remaining squarely behind him, rallied around Hegseth, who became a sort of litmus test for loyalty to Trump.
