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Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing; Protesters Interrupts Hegseth Confirmation Hearing; Hegseth Says, U.S. Can No Longer Count on Reputational Deterrence, We Need Real Deterrence. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired January 14, 2025 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:00:03]

REP. MIKE WALTZ (R-FL): Our readiness is down. Our costs are up. And it seems like nearly every major weapon system, again, often discussed in this very room, is costing too much, delivering too little and taking way too long.

The bottom line is the status quo is unacceptable. It's not working. And the members of this committee, you all know it. You know it's not working. And the members of the House Armed Services know it's not working. And we have hearing after hearing, year after year. And here we are, decades later, describing the same problems.

The Pentagon has continuously failed audits. The businesses that want to do business with the Pentagon have to pass an audit. But the entity itself fails an audit. Innovation is stalled. Morale is down. Standards have been weakened. And meritocracy is less valued. And as a result, our adversaries have been emboldened all over the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for change. It is time for change. You all have literally seen thousands of veterans, as the chairman cited, one amazing Medal of Honor recipient. But we have seen thousands of veterans expressing their support for Pete. This is a man who can reinvigorate that warrior ethos, and this is a man that will lead.

I can't imagine having a more capable partner in my position as national security adviser. Pete is a man of family, of faith, and he's committed to making our country stronger again. And most importantly, brother, I know this in my core, he will always have as a first principle, the service members that are out there on the front lines for all of us at the heart of every decision he makes.

So, Senators, I urge you to support this confirmation. It is critical that President Trump has his national security team in place for the challenges ahead. And I thank you.

SEN. ROGER WICKER (R-MS): Thank you, Mike, for your testimony, and I'm guessing that each and every member of this committee will want to have you on speed dial for the next few years. Thank you both.

Our two guests may stay, or I know they have other engagements and responsibilities also, but thank you both for your testimony. At this point, Mr. Hegseth, I'm required to ask you as a nominee a series of questions that the committee asks all civilian nominees who appeared before it. If you would, please simply respond in the affirmative or negative to each question.

Have you adhered to applicable laws and regulations governing conflicts of interest?

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY NOMINEE: Yes, sir.

WICKER: Have you assumed any duties or taken any actions that would appear to presume the outcome of the confirmation process?

HEGSETH: No, sir.

WICKER: Exercising our legislative and oversight responsibilities makes it important that this committee, its subcommittees and other appropriate committees of Congress receive testimony, briefings, reports, records, and other information from the executive branch on a timely basis. Do you agree, if confirmed, to appear and testify before this committee when requested?

HEGSETH: Yes, sir.

WICKER: Do you agree to provide records, documents, and electronic communications in a timely manner when requested by this committee, its subcommittees, or other appropriate committees of Congress, and to consult with the requester regarding the basis for any good faith delay or denial in providing such records?

HEGSETH: Yes, sir.

WICKER: Will you ensure that your staff complies with deadlines established by this committee for the production of reports, records and other information, including timely responding to hearing questions for the record?

HEGSETH: Yes, sir.

WICKER: Will you cooperate in providing witnesses and briefers in response to congressional requests?

HEGSETH: Yes, sir.

WICKER: Will those witnesses and briefers be protected from reprisal for their testimony or briefings?

HEGSETH: Yes, sir.

WICKER: All right. So, at this point, Mr. Hegseth, you are recognized for your opening statement.

HEGSETH: Well, thank you, Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Reed, and all the members of this committee for this opportunity today. I'm grateful for and have learned a great deal from this advice and consent process. Our founders knew what they were doing. Should I be confirmed, I look forward to working with this committee, senators from both parties, to secure our nation.

I want to thank the former senator from Minnesota, Norm Coleman, for his mentorship and friendship in this process and the incoming national security adviser, Congressman, and more importantly for our purposes, Colonel Mike Waltz, for his powerful words.

[10:05:11]

I'm grateful to them both.

Thank you to my incredible wife, Jennifer, who has changed my life and been with me throughout this entire process. I love you, sweetheart, and I thank God for you.

And as Jenny and I pray together every morning, all glory, regardless of the outcome, belongs to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His grace and mercy abounds each day. May His will be done.

Thank you to my father, Brian, and mother, Penny, as well as our entire family, including our seven wonderful kids, Gunner, Jackson, Peter Boone, Kensington, Luke, Rex, sorry, it's a lot of them, and Gwendolyn. Their future safety and security is in all of our hands.

And to all the troops and veterans watching and here in the room, Navy SEALs, Green Berets, soldiers, pilots, sailors, Marines, Gold Stars, and more, too many friends to name, officers enlisted, black and white, young and old, men and women, all Americans, all warriors, this hearing is for you. Thank you for figuratively and literally having my back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are a misogynist. Not only that, you are a Christian scientist (ph). And the court of the law is followed by the scientists (ph).

WICKER: I want to thank the authorities for their swift reaction to that outburst and that similar interruptions will be treated in like manner. Mr. Hegseth, you may continue.

HEGSETH: Well, as I'll say again, thank you for figuratively and literally having my back. I pledge to do the same for all of you.

It's an honor to come before this committee today as President Donald Trump's nominee for the Office of Secretary of Defense. Two months ago, 77 million Americans gave President Trump a powerful mandate for change to put America first, at home and abroad. I want to thank President Trump for his faith in me and his selfless leadership for our republic. The troops have no better commander-in-chief than Donald Trump.

As I've said to many of you in private meetings, when President Trump chose me for this position, the primary charge he gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense. He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser focused on lethality, meritocracy, warfighting accountability and readiness.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE). WICKER: You may continue, sir.

HEGSETH: Returning the Pentagon back to warfighting, that's it That's my job.

WICKER: Mr. Hegseth, suspend your remarks. Let me just say this. The Capitol Police are going to remove immediately individuals that are disrupting the hearing. I see a pattern attempted to be inflicted on the committee and we're simply not going to tolerate that.

You may proceed.

HEGSETH: To bring back warfighting, if confirmed, I'm going to work with President Trump and this committee to, one, restore the warrior ethos to the Pentagon and throughout our fighting force. In doing so, we will reestablish trust in our military, addressing the recruiting crisis, retention crisis, and readiness crisis in our ranks.

WICKER: Members of the security force will remove members.

Mr. Hegseth, you may --

HEGSETH: The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose, not our differences.

[10:10:00]

Number two, we're going to rebuild our military, always matching threats to capabilities. This includes reviving our defense industrial base, reforming the acquisitions process, as you mentioned, Mr. Chairman, no more valley of death for new defense companies, modernizing our nuclear triad, ensuring the Pentagon can pass an audit and rapidly fielding emerging technologies. And number three, we're going to reestablish deterrence.

First and foremost, we will defend our homeland, our borders and our skies. Second, we will work with our partners and allies to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific from the communist Chinese. And, finally, we will responsibly end wars to ensure that we prioritize our resources to reorient to larger threats. We can no longer count on reputational deterrence. We need real deterrence.

The Department of Defense under Donald Trump will achieve peace through strength, and in pursuing these America First national security goals, will remain patriotically apolitical and stridently constitutional. Unlike the current administration, politics should play no part in military matters. We are not Republicans. We are not Democrats. We are American warriors.

Our standards will be high, and they will be equal, not equitable. That's a very different word. We need to make sure every warrior is fully qualified on their assigned weapons system, every pilot's fully qualified and current on the aircraft they are flying, and every general or flag officer is selected for leadership or promotion purely based on performance, readiness and merit. Leaders at all levels will be held accountable and warfighting and lethality and the readiness of the troops and their families will be our only focus.

This has been my focus ever since I first put on the uniform as a young Army ROTC cadet at Princeton University in 2001. I joined the military because I love my country and felt an obligation to defend it. I served with incredible Americans in Guantanamo Bay, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and on the streets of Washington, D.C., many of which are with me here today. This includes enlisted soldiers I helped become American citizens and Muslim allies I helped immigrate from Iraq and Afghanistan. Because when I took off the uniform, my mission never stopped.

Now, it is true and has been acknowledged that I don't have a similar biography to defense secretaries of the last 30 years. But as President Trump also told me, we've repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly the right credentials, whether they are retired generals, academics, or defense contractor executives.

And where has it gotten us? He believes, and I humbly agree, that it's time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm, a change agent, someone with no vested interest in certain companies, or specific programs, or approved narratives. My only special interest is the warfighter, deterring wars, and if called upon, winning wars, by ensuring our warriors never enter a fair fight. We let them win and we bring them home.

Like many of my generation, I've been there. I've led troops in combat. I've been on patrol for days. I've pulled the trigger downrange, heard bullets whiz by, flex cuffed insurgents, called in close air support, led medevacs, dodged IEDs, pulled out dead bodies, and knelt before a battlefield cross.

This is not academic for me. This is my life. I led then, and I will lead now. Ask anyone who's ever worked for me, or with me. I know what I don't know. My success as a leader, and I very much look forward to discussing my organization's successes at Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. I'm incredibly proud of the work that we've done.

But my success as a leader has always been setting a clear vision, hiring people smarter and more capable than me, empowering them to succeed, holding everyone accountable, and driving toward clear metrics. Build the plan, work the plan, and then work harder than everyone else around you.

I've sworn an oath to the Constitution before, and if confirmed, I will proudly do it again this time for the most important deployment of my life.

[10:15:05]

I pledge to be a faithful partner to this committee, taking input and respecting oversight. We share the same goals, a ready, lethal, military, the health and wellbeing of our troops, and a strong and secure America. Thank you for the time.

And I look forward to your questions. WICKER: Thank you very much, Mr. Hegseth.

Before we begin with member questions, I would like to remind my colleagues that consistent with the bipartisan staff agreement from December and in concert with exactly how this committee dealt with the last secretary of defense nominee, each member will be recognized for one round of seven minutes to question the nominee.

Out of respect for the time of all members of this committee, the time limits will be tightly enforced. We've now been here 45 minutes, and I think we've done very well with the time. But at this point, I will begin my questioning of the nominee.

Mr. Hegseth, you and your family have endured criticism of your nomination since it was announced in November. Let's get into this allegation about sexual assault, inappropriate workplace behavior, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement during your time as a nonprofit executive. I should note that the majority of these have come from anonymous sources in liberal media publications, but I want to give you an opportunity to respond to these allegations, sir.

HEGSETH: Mr. Chairman, thank you for that opportunity. You are correct. We undertook this responsibility with an obligation to the troops, to do right by them for our warfighters. And what became very evident to us from the beginning, there was a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated in the media against us. That was clear from moment one.

And what we knew is that it wasn't about me. Most of it was about President Donald Trump, who's had to endure the very same thing for much longer amounts of time and he endured it in incredibly strong ways. So we, in some ways, knew it was coming. We didn't understand the depth of the dishonesty that would come with it.

So, from story after story in the media, left wing media, we saw anonymous source after anonymous source based on second or third hand accounts. And time and time again, stories would come out and people would reach out to me and say, you know, I've read -- I've spoken to this reporter about who you really are and I was willing to go on the record, but they didn't print my quote. They didn't print any of my quotes.

Or I've worked with you for ten years, or I was your accountant, or I was your chief operating officer, or I was your board member, or I was with you on a hundred different tour stops for Concerned Veterans for America. No one called me. No one asked about your conduct on the record or off the record. Instead, a small handful of anonymous sources were allowed to drive a smear campaign and agenda about me because our left wing media in America today, sadly, doesn't care about the truth. All they were out to do, Mr. Chairman, was to destroy me. And why do they want to destroy me? Because I'm a change agent and a threat to them, because Donald Trump was willing to choose me, to empower me, to bring the Defense Department back to what it really should be, which is warfighting.

So, I am willing to endure these attacks, but what I will do is stand up for the truth and for my reputation. False attacks, anonymous attacks, repeated ad nauseum, printed ad nauseum, as facts, we have provided to the committee, Mr. Chairman, and I know you're going to share, on the record statement after on the record statement from people who have served with me, worked with me at Fox News, Concerned Vets for Freedom, you name it, from the top of the chain to the bottom, who will say I treat them with respect, with kindness, with dignity, that's men, that's women, that's black, that's white, that's every background. I have prided myself as a leader of respecting people being professional. That is the balance of mind.

I'm not a perfect person, as has been acknowledged, saved by the grace of God, by Jesus and Jenny. I'm not a perfect person, but redemption is real. And God forged me in ways that I know I'm prepared for. And I'm honored by the people standing and sitting behind me and I look forward to leading this Pentagon on behalf of the warfighters.

WICKER: Thank you, Mr. Hegseth. And, frankly, I'm sure there are millions of Americans watching would agree that they've experienced that same sort of redemption.

[10:20:08]

So, I do appreciate that. I realize that it involves a little bearing of the soul, but thank you for that.

Now, let's talk about top line defense spending. I have a plan. I think you've read it. I've issued another plan for Freedoms Forge, which you've also had a chance to look at, and you have noted correctly that the current trend line of defense spending falling below 3 percent of our GDP is a threat to national security. You also said building the strongest most powerful military in the world must be done responsibly but it cannot be done on the cheap. Do you still agree with that, do you not?

HEGSETH: Yes, sir, I do.

WICKER: So, tell us what you think about -- particularly about my plan to make the Defense Department less bureaucratic, less top heavy, cut out some of the bureaucracy and layers, make it more friendly to startups and to new ideas contained in my 20 or so page white paper Defending Freedoms Forge.

HEGSETH: Senator, I've had a chance to review the Forge Act, that paper. Those are precisely the kinds of ideas that need to be pursued. And I look forward to working with this committee to ensure we cut the red tape, we incentivize innovation, we rebuild the defense industrial base, cut out the bureaucracy, all the things that are preventing the platforms and the tools from getting rapidly from our great defense companies here that should -- and those that want to compete into the hands of warfighters.

But past is prologue on this, sir, and I would just look at President Trump after what he did after the drawdowns of lead from behind under President Obama. President Trump rebuilt our military. He didn't start wars. He ended them and he didn't allow wars to start on his watch. We've had the same kind of defense cuts under the Biden administration.

And so, look, I would present to the committee the reputation of President Donald Trump and me coming alongside him to ensure we have peace through strength by rebuilding our military, investing as necessary. Going under 3 percent, Mr. Chairman, is very dangerous.

WICKER: Okay, we've got 45 seconds. Tell us in that point get us started at least talking about deterring China and the Indo-Pacific.

HEGSETH: It starts with priorities. The 2017 national defense strategy was the first step in reorienting away from simply entanglement in the Middle East, which our generation knows a lot about, and reorienting the behemoth that is the Pentagon toward new priorities, specifically the Indo-Pacific. So, that strategy has started and was barely followed through on under the by demonstration.

So, we're going to start by ensuring the institution understands that as far as threats abroad. The TCP is front and center, also obviously defending our homeland as well.

WICKER: Thank you very much. Senator Reed, you are recognized.

SEN. JACK REED (D-RI): Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Before I begin my questioning, I would like to make three requests. First, many of my members would like a second round. That has been the custom. Senator Hagel was afforded three rounds. Senator Ashcroft (ph), two rounds. And that was done by a Republican chairman with the consent and the appropriate guidance of Democrats.

I must say, too, my recollection is I've never denied anyone the opportunity to ask the second round of questions as I chaired. I would request a second round.

And my time is running. I think these are --

WICKER: Oh, yes, you're using your time. No, if the timekeeper will pause the time.

I must say, I think we're going to have adequate time for questioning. And I know Democrat members have coordinated their questions, as much as we have. And we're following the same exact precedent on all things that we did with Secretary Austin.

So, I respectfully understand what you're saying, but I think we have an agreement. It's been known for quite some time. And I intend to stick with that agreement, which we made last December.

What is your second request?

REED: Second has been publicly reported. You and I have both seen the FBI background investigation of Mr. Hegseth. And I want to say for the record, I believe the investigation was insufficient, frankly. There are still FBI obligations to talk to people. They have not had access to the forensic audit, which I referenced to, and the person who had access to was quite critical of Mr. Hegseth.

[10:25:06]

And I think people on both sides have suggested that they get the report. I know your colleagues have asked for it. Senator Thune assured me personally that he thought it was an appropriate idea. So, I would ask, and I would say, too, as the president -- one of President Trump's appointees had a symbol of very complicated personal issues. The report was made available to all the members of the committee. We would be following precedent, and I ask that that be made possible.

WICKER: Again, we are -- there's been much discussion about this. And what I intend to do is follow the exact precedent that we've had for the last two hearings with regard to secretaries of defense, not only Secretary Austin but Secretary Mattis eight years ago. And that was for the chair and the ranking member to see the report. And so that is my intention as chair of this committee.

REED: Finally, Mr. Chairman, I have several letters that I would include for the record, one from Count Every Hero, which is an organization of retired four star generals and former secretary of defense. That is critical of the proposed purge panels. One from an organization for domestic violence, one for a Council on American Relations, and also -- excuse me, and also several letters that would raise questions. I would ask they be submitted for the record.

WICKER: Without objection, they will be submitted. And, Mr. Reed, your time is now expired. Just kidding. You're recognized for seven minutes.

REED: Thank you. You're a very understanding chairman. I like that. I like that.

Ms. Hegseth, you've written in, it's quote, oh, yes, and fire any general who has carried water for Obama and Biden's extra Constitution and agenda-driven transformation for our military. Clean house and start over. It's come to my attention that current serving military personnel have received emails threatening them with being fired for supporting the current DOD policies.

One mail that was sent to a military officer with the subject line, clean house, reminiscent of your specific comment, states, and I quote, with the incoming administration looking to remove disloyal, corrupt, traitorous liberal officers such as yourself, we will certainly be putting your name into the list of those personnel to be removed. We know you support the woke DEI policies and will ensure you never again influence anyone in the future. You and redacted spouse's name will be lucky if you're able to collect your military requirement, end quote.

Now, I want to remind everyone that these policies that are being referred to date back decades, the 1940s and 50s, with respect to racial discrimination, particularly, and administrations of both parties, including the Trump administration and their first party caused those policies to be enforced.

Mr. Hegseth said, are you aware of these emails being sent to officers?

HEGSETH: Senator, you mentioned the word, accountability, which is something we have not had for the last four years.

REED: Are you aware of these messages being sent to officers?

HEGSETH: Certainly, I'm not aware of that. It's not one of my efforts, but there's been no accountability for the disaster of the withdrawal in Afghanistan. And that's precisely why we're here today, is that leadership has been unwilling to take accountability. It's the time to restore that to our most senior ranks.

REED: You've written publicly that DEI policy is a distraction and have military personnel walking on eggshells. Do you believe that emails like that are essentially threatening both serving officer and a spouse and claiming that they'll lose their pension will have a distraction and detract from the lethality?

HEGSETH: Senator, you mentioned the 40s and 50s and you're precisely right. The military was a forerunner in courageous racial integration in ways no other institutions were willing to do. I served with men and women of all backgrounds because of the courage of people decades and decades ago. It's incredibly important.

However, the DEI policies of today are not the same as what happened back then. They're dividing troops inside formations, causing commanders to walk on eggshells, not putting meritocracy first.

[10:30:00]

That's the indictment that's made by those serving right now and why we're having this conversation.

HEGSETH: All of your public comments don't talk about meritocracy.