Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sharply confronted Pete Hegseth during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, accusing him of altering his stance on women in combat to secure his nomination as Secretary of Defense under President-elect Donald Trump.
Hegseth, a controversial nominee, faced scrutiny over his past statements about women’s roles in the military. Warren highlighted a stark contradiction in his public comments.
“Just 32 days after your last public comment saying that women absolutely should not be in combat, you declared that, quote, ‘Some of our greatest warriors are women,’ and you support having them serve in combat,” Warren said.
“Now that is a very, very big about-face in a very, very short period of time. So, help me understand, Mr. Hegseth, what extraordinary event happened in that 32-day period that made you change the core values you had expressed for the preceding 12 years?”
Hegseth responded, “Senator, again, I very much appreciate you bringing up my comments from 2013, because for me, this issue has always been about standards, and unfortunately, because of some of the people that have been in political power for the last four years—”
Warren cut him off. “Excuse me, Mr. Hegseth! Let’s just stop, let’s just stop, let’s just stop right there! Mr. Hegseth, I’m quoting you from a podcast: ‘Women shouldn’t be in combat at all!’ Where is the reference to standards that they should be there if they can carry if they can run? I don’t see that at all, Mr. Hegseth.
What I see is that there’s a 32-day period in which you suddenly have another description of your views of women in the military, and I just want to know, what changed in the 32 days that the song you sang is not the song you come in here today to sing?”
Hegseth reiterated concerns about military standards being compromised for “quotas.” However, Warren interrupted again with a pointed observation.
“No, let me make a suggestion about what happened in those 32 days. You got a nomination for President Trump! Now, I’ve heard of deathbed conversions, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a nomination conversion!”
The exchange underscored the tension surrounding Hegseth’s nomination, as Warren questioned his sincerity and readiness to lead the Department of Defense while maintaining the military’s values and standards.