WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is urging Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, to answer additional questions about his past actions and statements before next Tuesday’s confirmation hearing.
In a letter to Hegseth sent Monday, the Massachusetts Democrat asked the former Fox News host and Army veteran to respond by Friday to questions about allegations of past drinking, sexual assault and mismanagement of the veterans organization’s finances — which he said all denied. She also wants to know what statements he has made about minorities, women and LGBTQ people serving in the military.
Hegseth has the support of some veterans groups who believe the military has overemphasized diversity at the expense of troop readiness. A group of former Navy SEALs are planning a rally in support of Hegseth in Washington next week.
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“One of the biggest flaws in the current leadership in the military and in the Pentagon is focusing more on things that don’t matter,” said Bill Brown, a former SEAL who is organizing Tuesday’s meeting. “The military is not a social justice project.”
Hegseth’s supporters have emphasized that many of the questions about his past behavior stemmed from reports based on anonymous sources. But some relate to things he has said in interviews or written in his books.
In “War on Warriors,” Hegseth wrote that the promotion of General CQ Brown to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff meant that “now that the Pentagon is led and staffed entirely by so-called ‘leaders’ like CQ Brown, we assume that 17 percent of all black officers in the Air Force are promoted simply because of their appearance – and not because of the way they lead.”
Hegseth has also openly criticized the role of women in combat, although he appeared to recant some of those views during meetings with senators.
Warren questioned whether Hegseth could lead, saying she was “deeply concerned about the many ways in which your past behavior and rhetoric indicate that you are unfit to lead the Department of Defense.”
A spokesperson for the Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
