Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, offered a brutal takedown of Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to serve as Defense Secretary, during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
Hegseth has been accused of sexual assault, mismanaging two veterans organizations, abusing alcohol, infidelity and called a serial “abuser of women” by his own mother. Hegseth has also said women should not serve in combat roles.
At Tuesday’s confirmation hearing Reed told Hegseth that “the totality of your own writings and alleged conduct would disqualify any servicemember from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the Secretary of Defense.”
The senator added that even though he has supported secretaries of defense in the past, including in the first Trump administration, he will not be supporting Hegseth.
“Unfortunately, you lack the character and composure and competence to hold the position of secretary of defense,” he added. .
