Pete Hegseth's Senate confirmation hearing: Top 5 moments

On Tuesday, Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for the Department of Defense, was questioned by the Senate about his qualifications for the position.

During his Armed Services Committee hearing, Hegseth faced tough questioning from Democrats about his past remarks on women in military combat roles and was also disrupted by protesters who caused interruptions.

In November, Trump nominated Hegseth, praising him as a "Warrior for the Troops and for the Country" following his election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.

After Hegseth concluded his lengthy hearing, Planet Chronicle Digital compiled the top five highlights.

Hegseth’s emotional opening remarks

On Tuesday morning, Hegseth's emotions ran high as he expressed gratitude to his loved ones for their support during the nomination process.

Jennifer, my amazing wife, has transformed my life and been by my side throughout this journey. I adore you, my love, and I thank God for you as tears well up in my eyes.

""As we pray together every morning, all glory belongs to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and His grace and mercy abound each day. May His will be done," he said."

Jennifer and Hegseth, a former Planet Chronicle host, exchanged vows in 2013, welcoming a blended family of seven children into their union.

"Our entire family, including our seven wonderful kids, Gunner, Jackson, Peter Boone, Kensington, Luke, Rex...Gwendolyn, is responsible for ensuring their future safety and security," he stated.

Sen. Hirono claims Hegseth would lead a military invasion of Greenland if confirmed

During the confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense, Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono faced criticism on social media for questioning Hegseth about leading a military invasion of Greenland.

On Tuesday, Hirono posed a question to the President elect: "Would you order me to seize Greenland, a NATO ally of Denmark, by force? Or would you order me to take over the Panama Canal?"

In recent weeks, Trump has expressed his desire to buy Greenland from Denmark, referred to Canada as the U.S.'s "51st state," and referred to outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Canada's "governor." Additionally, he has pledged to demand the return of the Panama Canal to the United States of America in full, quickly, and without question.

During the hearing, Hegseth dismissed Hirono's inquiry by stating, "Trump never intentionally reveals his plans."

Hegseth stated that he would never publicly declare his stance to direct the president's orders.

Social media users responded harshly to Hirono's questioning, with some calling her the "least intelligent Member of Congress" and others describing the session as a "clown show."

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote on X that Hirono was acting as judge, jury, and executioner based on falsehoods and foolishness.

Hearing erupts into protests

During the hearing, a group of protesters disrupted Hegseth's opening remarks, shouting at him about the war in Israel and labeling him as both a "Christian Zionist" and a "misogynist."

A female protester wearing fatigues shouted at a hearing that veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza, as shown in a Planet Chronicle Digital video.

At least three protesters were observed being removed from the hearing with their hands bound or in zipties.

"You are a misogynist," one protester shouted at Hegseth.

"Hegseth thanked the audience for having his back, both figuratively and literally, after being interrupted. He then returned to his opening statement and pledged to do the same for all of them."

During his hearing, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., inquired about the protesters, specifically regarding the ongoing war in Israel since 2023, to Hegseth.

"Another protester, who I believe was a member of Code Pink, a Chinese communist front group, accused me of supporting Israel's war in Gaza. I, too, support Israel's existential war in Gaza, as does President Trump," Cotton stated.

Hegseth stated that he supports Israel's destruction and killing of every Hamas member.

"The third protester mentioned the 20-year genocide, which I believe refers to our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think our troops are committing genocide in those countries?" Cotton added.

Senator, I believe that our troops did their best with the resources they had, as many in this committee know. However, the tragic outcome in Afghanistan under the Biden administration has tarnished their efforts. Nevertheless, the sacrifices made by those men and women in uniform should not be diminished, as you are fully aware, Senator.

Hegseth repeatedly grilled on support of women in combat roles

The nominee faced intense questioning from senators, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Joni Ernst, about his past remarks on women serving in combat roles.

Senator Cotton asked you to differentiate between different types of combat, and you responded by saying that you would not support the reinstatement of the combat arms exclusion for female service members, despite the fact that hundreds of women are currently doing that job.

Her inquiry centered on Hegseth's 2024 publication, which asserts: "Fathers encourage us to take risks. Mothers provide safety training. We require mothers. However, not in the military, particularly not in combat zones."

He argued that his stance on women serving in the military is based on maintaining military standards, not on weakening them.

I appreciate your comments, Senator. I want to clarify that I have always respected women serving in the military. I have never disparaged any female service member, past or present. My critiques, both recent and in the past, were based on my personal experience and observations of standards being lowered.

Ernst, a Republican veteran who initially did not publicly support Hegseth's nomination, questioned the nominee's views on women in the military, stating that he had a platform to make his opinions "very clear."

As secretary of defense, will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles? Ernst inquired, emphasizing the need for clarity.

Once again, Hegseth steered the discussion towards his worry about maintaining high military standards.

Hegseth replied, "Thank you for your service, Senator. Our discussion was thorough, and I agree with your caveat. Women will have access to combat roles as long as the standards remain high, and we'll conduct a review to ensure they haven't been compromised."

Hegseth was questioned by Ernst about his plans to address sexual assault in the military, which is one of Ernst's top three concerns.

Ernst stated that combating sexual assault in the military and ensuring that all service members are treated with dignity and respect is a priority for her. She emphasized the importance of this issue and highlighted her work with Senator Gillibrand to bring about changes to the uniform code of military justice. Ernst emphasized the need for the Pentagon to address the tragic and life-altering issues of rape and sexual assault under her watch if she is confirmed.

Will you, as the Secretary of Defense, designate a senior official to focus on preventing and responding to sexual assault?

Hegseth stated that, in accordance with their prior discussion, he would designate an official to that position.

Dem Sen. Kaine grills SecDef nominee over infidelity in front of young daughter

During the hearing, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., asked Hegseth a series of personal questions, including about the timing of his extramarital affairs, while Hegseth's seven-year-old daughter sat nearby.

Kaine inquired about the incident in Monterey, California, in October 2017, where Hegseth was still married to his second wife. The nominee was investigated and found innocent of the sexual assault allegations.

"I believe so," Hegseth responded.

Hegseth has been married three times, and he fathered a child with a woman who would later become his third wife.

Hegseth stated that he was falsely accused and after a thorough investigation, he was completely exonerated.

Kaine countered: "You believe you're exonerated because you didn't break any laws? That's your interpretation of being cleared?"

"You fathered a child two months ago with a woman who was not your wife, and now you stand here claiming to be cleared. How can you so casually cheat on a second wife and the mother of a child who was born just two months ago?"

Hegseth replied, "Senator, my child's name is Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth, and she is a child of God."

He stated that he was happy she was present at seven years old.

This report was contributed to by Andrew Mark Miller, Aubrie Spady, and Breanne Deppisch of Planet Chronicle Digital.