Secretary of Protection-designate Pete Hegseth argued Monday that his feedback about ladies within the navy have been “misconstrued,” earlier than pledging to be a “secretary for all our warriors.”
“I additionally need a chance right here to make clear feedback which have been misconstrued, that I one way or the other don’t help ladies within the navy,” the 44-year-old Military veteran instructed Fox Information host Sean Hannity.
“A few of our best warriors, our greatest warriors on the market, are ladies,” Hegseth mentioned, noting that feminine service members defend the nation “each single day across the globe.”
Ought to he be confirmed within the Senate, Hegseth mentioned he seems to be “ahead to being a secretary for all our warriors, women and men, for the wonderful contributions they make in our navy.”
Throughout a Nov. 7 look on the “Sean Ryan Present” podcast, simply days earlier than he was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to steer the Pentagon, Hegseth argued that girls shouldn’t serve in navy fight roles.
“I’m straight up simply saying we must always not have ladies in fight roles,” he mentioned on the podcast. “It hasn’t made us simpler. Hasn’t made us extra deadly. Has made combating extra difficult.”
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), an Military veteran herself, famous over the weekend that she want to hear extra about Hegseth’s views on ladies in fight earlier than supporting his nomination.
The pair met for at the very least the second time on Capitol Hill Monday in what Hegseth described as a “nice assembly.”
“Folks don’t actually know this – I’ve identified Senator Ernst for over ten years,” Hegseth instructed Hannity. “I knew her when she was a state senator, operating to be the primary feminine fight veteran, and we supported her in that effort and have continued to.”
Trump’s prime Pentagon choose indicated that he has relished the chance to debate key Division of Protection points with senators, like Ernst, all through the advise and consent course of.
“The truth that she’s keen to help me by means of this course of means lots,” Hegseth mentioned of Ernst.
The 54-year-old Ernst on Monday described her discussions with Hegseth as “encouraging” — and echoed his frustrations with nameless sources attacking his private historical past.
“I admire Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the method,” Ernst, who sits on the Senate Armed Companies Committee, mentioned in a press release. “I help Pete by means of this course of, I stay up for a good listening to based mostly on reality, not nameless sources.”
Hegseth instructed Hannity that he’s “wanting ahead” to having an FBI run a background examine on him as a part of the affirmation course of, as a result of he believes it is going to dispel claims that he sexually assaulted a girl in 2017.
A lawyer for Hegseth confirmed final month that the previous Fox Information persona paid an undisclosed quantity to a girl who accused him of sexual assault, an encounter which he maintains was consensual.
“It was absolutely investigated on the time, years in the past, and I used to be fully cleared,” Hegseth instructed Hannity. “And that’s why, Sean, what I stay up for? I’m wanting ahead to the FBI background examine. I stay up for the precise below oath conversations with senators as we undergo the method, as a result of, once more, that is what the left does, Sean – It’s the anatomy of a smear.”
Hegseth revealed that he has a number of extra conferences on Capitol Hill scheduled this week, together with with average Republicans essential to his affirmation.
“We can be assembly with [Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)] on Wednesday and [Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)] on Tuesday, he mentioned.
If all Democrats vote towards his affirmation, Hegseth can solely lose three Republican votes or his nomination is sunk.
