Senate Armed Services Democrats argue allegations against Hegseth should disqualify him from leading Pentagon

A group of Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee has argued in a new letter that allegations against Pete Hegseth should disqualify him from serving as the next defense secretary.

A group of Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee has argued in a new letter that allegations against Pete Hegseth should disqualify him from serving as the next defense secretary. Hegseth, who President-elect Donald Trump chose last month as his pick to run the Pentagon, has been on Capitol Hill in recent days in a bid to garner enough support from senators to earn confirmation to the role. “We write to express deep concerns about whether Pete Hegseth’s attitudes toward women, including allegations of sexual assault and harassment, disqualify him to be the next Secretary of Defense,” the Democrats, led by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, wrote Tuesday in a letter to Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff. Hegseth, a veteran and former Fox News anchor, has faced a tough confirmation process as allegations emerged related to his workplace behavior and treatment of women, including a surfaced sexual assault accusation from 2017. Hegseth has denied wrongdoing, and no charges were brought over the 2017 allegation. The group of Democrats also warned in the letter of the consequences of Hegseth’s previous comments that women should not serve in combat roles, which he has since attempted to clarify. “Mr. Hegseth’s ill-informed views ignore the significant role women have played in combat roles for the United States of America. His dismissal of women as warfighters drives away both potential recruits and women who are already serving in the armed forces. At a time when DOD is struggling to build up military enlistments, Mr. Hegseth’s comments disqualify him to serve as the Secretary of Defense,” wrote the senators.