Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who last month called the allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct against Pete Hegseth “absolutely shocking,” said Tuesday that President-elect Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense is now “confident” of victory. He said it appears to be. Senate confirmation.
Graham predicted Hegseth would be a slam dunk to get past the Senate Armed Services Committee and secure enough votes for confirmation in the Senate after surviving hours of tough questioning.
“The democratic attack fell flat because it was too personal. It was clear that Pitt was better prepared for the hearing than his Democratic colleagues,” Graham said.
“With today’s performance, I believe the path to confirmation for Pete Hegseth has been cleared,” he declared.
The South Carolina senator argued that Hegseth “answered difficult questions very well” during the hearing while also laying out a vision for reforming the Department of Defense.
One of the most tense moments came when Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) questioned Hegseth about his multiple marriages and affairs and whether he had ever committed an act of violence against one of his spouses.
But the fireworks did little to change the minds of Republican senators.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a key Republican vote on the committee, said he did not ask Hegseth about the allegations against him, but instead promoted his priorities of giving women access to combat roles and cracking down on sexual assault. I focused on army.
When nominations come up for a committee vote next week, not a single Republican on the panel has given any indication that they will not support Hegseth.
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