Senate confirms military veteran despite Warren’s opposition
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune has confidentially informed President-elect Donald Trump that Pete Hegseth’s nomination for secretary of defense has secured sufficient votes for confirmation, despite initial hesitation from several Republican senators, including Joni Ernst, according to three sources who spoke with CBS News.
However, Democratic opposition, particularly from Senator Elizabeth Warren, continues to mount against the decorated Army veteran, who holds a Combat Infantry Badge, two Bronze Stars, and two Army Commendation Medals for valor.
Warren escalated tensions by delivering a 33-page document to Hegseth on Monday evening, compiling various establishment criticisms and outlining the Democratic strategy for his upcoming confirmation hearing scheduled for January 14.
Elizabeth Warren has sent a letter to Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth in which she claims that having a Deus Vult tattoo, Latin for “God’s will” and a Christian motto that dates back to the First Crusade, makes him a “potential insider threat.” pic.twitter.com/4lySEYI9vn
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 7, 2025
“I am deeply concerned by the many ways in which your behavior and rhetoric indicates that you are unfit to lead the Department of Defense,” wrote Warren. “These are the qualifications that we should be looking for in the next Secretary of Defense. However, your past behavior and rhetoric indicates your inability to effectively lead this organization and properly support our servicemembers.”
Warren’s extensive document contained over 70 pointed questions, organized into various critical sections. These addressed Hegseth’s leadership at Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America, his alcohol consumption, a disputed 2017 sexual assault allegation that never resulted in charges, and his stance on prioritizing American troops’ safety over enemy combatant rights.
The Massachusetts senator also challenged Hegseth’s military reform proposals, criticizing his positions on gender-related military policies, including his statements about physical strength differences between men and women, and his opposition to combat role expansion for female service members and affirmative action in recruitment.
The document expanded into reproductive healthcare policies and Hegseth’s stance on transgender service members. Warren disputed Hegseth’s alignment with former Defense Secretary James Mattis’s 2018 memo regarding gender dysphoria risks in military service, instead arguing that restricting transgender service would harm military readiness.
.@SenWarren isn’t targeting Pete Hegseth over qualifications—it’s because he won’t bow to their partisan games.
This is about silencing Trump’s America-First agenda, not about serving the American people! pic.twitter.com/rIEXmvwLWc
— Camryn Kinsey (@camrynbaylee) January 7, 2025
Warren’s critique extended to Hegseth’s views on military justice, questioning his combat leadership philosophy and his criticism of legal constraints on warfare. She demanded clarification on his commitment to international law and military engagement protocols.
The senator concluded by questioning Hegseth’s positions on international alliances and his perspectives on Islam, requesting written responses by January 10, ahead of the confirmation hearing.
In response, Trump transition team spokesman Brian Hughes issued a statement to the Associated Press: “Warren’s letter is exactly what the American voters rejected on November 5. Instead of focusing on ‘woke’ policies that have weakened our national defense, the voters gave a mandate to rebuild our military, and that’s exactly what a reform-minded secretary of defense like Pete Hegseth will do.”
