Two Republican senators are optimistic about Hegseth’s chances to be the next defense secretary
Two Republican senators said they believe Pete Hegseth will have enough votes to be confirmed as the next US defense secretary after a contentious hearing on Tuesday.
Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., joined “The Ingraham Angle” to share their grades of the Hegseth Path in order to become part of the cabinet of the newly elected President Donald Trump.
“I believe, without a doubt, that Pete will be confirmed and I think you will have the strong support of all Republicans, male and female,” Mullin said. “I think he’s the right person for the job, and President Trump has done a great job selecting him to be the next secretary of defense.”
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Pete Hegseth, a military analyst at Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. and U.S. Secretary of Defense nominee for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Kent Nishimura)
Mullin also praised his fellow Republican, Sen Joni ErnstR-Iowa, because she endorsed Hegseth after initially appearing skeptical of his nomination because of his remarks about women in combat and allegations of sexual misconduct. Hegseth denies the allegations.
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The former “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host said in a podcast in early November that the United States “shouldn’t have women in combat roles.”
“It didn’t make us more efficient. It didn’t make us more lethal. It made the fight more complicated,” he said on an episode of “The Shawn Ryan Show.”
Ernst, herself a war veteran and sexual assault survivor, had met Hegseth several times before confirmation hearing before endorsing Trump’s choice to head the Pentagon on Tuesday night.
Sen. Rep. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, speaks to reporters after the weekly Senate Republican Policy Luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on February 14, 2023 in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Cotton told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that he believes Hegseth has the necessary votes confirmed by the Senate. The vote is expected next week.
“I hope the Democrats don’t delay or otherwise obstruct this nomination. If they want to vote against him, that’s fine, but President Trump deserves to have his defense secretary on the job properly,” Cotton said.
He opposed the harmful effects of “political correctness” and “social engineering” running rampant in the military.
“The number of recruits has probably been reduced to the point where we’re in a recruiting crisis and readiness is compromised. Look, our troops don’t deserve their alternates on their ID tags. They don’t need to walk on privileges. They don’t deserve to have to go through repeated training on diversity, equality and inclusion” Cotton continued. “What they deserve is tough, realistic training that will help them prepare to defend this nation in time of war. The kind of training that Pete Hegseth did and is doing.”
The Pentagon is seen from Air Force One as it flies over Washington on March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Several Democratic senators criticized Hegseth because of his experience running two veterans’ nonprofits and his own alleged poor financial management during his time at Concerned Veterans for America and Veterans for Freedom.
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., pressed the military veteran on his qualifications and experience in leadership positions.
“We’re actually hiring you to be the CEO of one of the most complex, largest organizations in the world. We’re the board of directors here,” Peters said, pointing to his Senate Armed Services Committee colleagues.
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“I don’t think there is a board of directors in America that would hire you as a CEO with the kind of experience you have on your resume,” he added.
