Pete Hegseth's FBI background check does not include interviews with key women from his past
NBCJan 14
Hegseth Faces Tough Questions at Defense Secretary Hearing
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Above: Pete Hegseth during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing Jan. 14, 2025. Image copyright: Al Drago/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Facts
Pete Hegseth, US Pres.-elect Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday to begin his confirmation hearing, which was repeatedly interrupted by protesters who were removed from the chamber.
Meanwhile, over 200 Navy SEALs and veterans marched to the Capitol in support of Trump's nominee before dozens of them attended the hearing.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Hegseth's FBI background check came out clean as a whistle, crushing Democrats' hopes of derailing his nomination. Despite their attempts to smear him, the lack of damning evidence from even the FBI — an agency that's opposed to Trump — shows their allegations were complete lies.
Democratic narrative
Aside from the assault allegations, which should disqualify Hegseth on their own, Republicans are also supporting a man who lacks traditional qualifications for this position. The GOP decries diversity hiring but seems perfectly fine with someone who has no experience and has ties to extremist groups running an important part of the US government.
Cynical narrative
These petty political arguments are distracting from the actual dangers of men like Hegseth getting confirmed. Hegseth believes the Iraq War was justified, that Israel has a right to encroach further into Palestine, and that war criminals deserve praise rather than prison. Establishment politicians on both sides love this about him, which is why they're conveniently focusing on trivial matters.
