AoSHQ The Morning Report
January 17, 2025
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Defense Department, fought back against allegations of personal misconduct, sexual assault, and excessive drinking, as well as overall questions over his lack of qualifications to lead the Pentagon on Tuesday.In Other News
For more than four hours, Hegseth was grilled by Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee while Republicans came to his defense and praised his “warrior mentality” as they look to shepherd him over the finish line as Trump’s secretary of defense.
During the hearing, the first for Trump’s Cabinet picks, Hegseth fought back against what he classed as a media “smear campaign.”
“A small handful of anonymous sources were allowed to drive a smear campaign, an agenda about me, because our left-wing media in America today, sadly, doesn’t care about the truth,” he said.
“I’m willing to endure these attacks, but what I will do is stand up for the truth and for my reputation,” he said.