Senate Republicans are expressing optimism that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Pentagon, earned the support he needs to be confirmed after he emerged mostly unscathed from his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) on Monday said President-elect Trump’s nominee for Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is “vulnerable” to blackmail from U.S. foreign adversaries and reiterated her stance that he is not “qualified” to run the Pentagon. “It would sow confusion because our leaders in the military would not know to what they could talk to…

Pete Hegseth pitched himself as a "change agent" to lead the Defense Department while Democrats excoriated him as unfit for any military leadership post in the first confirmation hearing for President-elect Donald Trump incoming Cabinet nominees on Tuesday.

In a heated Senate confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, Sen. Tammy Duckworth grilled the proposed defense secretary over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, asking him if he could name one member and how many countries were in the bloc.

Pete Hegseth on Tuesday battled through a high-stakes Senate hearing in which Democrats sought to paint the Pentagon nominee as inexperienced, unprofessional and toxic due to allegations of sexual

Secretary of Defense nominee and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth faces questioning from the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee told Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth he’s unsuitable to lead a department with 3.5 million service members and civilian employees and an annual budget of nearly $900 billion.

Even though Trump has not officially been inaugurated, the Senate can confirm cabinet members before his Oath of Office.

Francis Chung/POLITICO Entering his confirmation hearing to become secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth had been dogged by questions about his alcohol use, sexual assault allegations levied against him and his lack of experience at leading a complex government bureaucracy.