It appears Pete Hegseth has adopted tactics similar to those of Donald Trump, dismissing all allegations against him during his confirmation hearing for Defense Secretary on Tuesday.

Hegseth referred to the accusations as “anonymous smears” when Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) questioned him about reports of his drunken behavior, including being carried from venues, passing out in a party bus, and allegedly taking staff to a strip club. Kelly pointed out that many of these claims were not anonymous.

Hegseth’s drinking habits are just part of the Democrats’ concerns regarding his nomination. Throughout the Tuesday hearing, it was clear that Hegseth would encounter a group of aggressive Democrats raising substantial concerns, while supportive Republicans seemed willing to overlook this alleged misconduct in favor of eradicating “woke” elements from the military.

With Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst now backing Hegseth, his confirmation seems inevitable. Thank you, America! We’re set to have a man with minimal government experience and a troubling history approved to manage the largest military budget globally.

Republicans will achieve what they desire. The rest of us should note that this is the caliber of leadership Trump’s party is presenting for one of our most crucial institutions. This individual?

Pete Hegseth avoided inquiries regarding sexual assault claims

In 2017, a woman met at a conference accused Hegseth of sexual assault. Although no formal charges were made, he did settle with the accuser, who agreed to a nondisclosure agreement. This issue was raised several times during the hearing, to which Hegseth insisted he was “completely cleared.”

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) disputed Hegseth’s claim, stating, “I don’t think ‘completely cleared’ is an accurate description. Your own lawyer acknowledged that you entered a nondisclosure agreement and paid a woman who accused you of raping her to prevent her from filing a complaint.”

Hirono wasn’t alone in discussing the sexual assault claims; Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) linked them to Hegseth’s past infidelity and questioned why he didn’t inform President-elect Donald Trump about the settlement.

“You chose not to disclose this significant information to the future commander-in-chief because you were concerned about your prospects, rather than being honest with the next president,” Kaine said.

Does Hegseth support the inclusion of women in the military? He claims he does now.

For many years, Hegseth opposed women serving in combat. He made this statement clear on a podcast in November.

“I’m directly saying that we should not allow women in combat roles,” he declared to host Shawn Ryan. “It hasn’t improved our effectiveness, hasn’t increased lethality, and has complicated fighting.”

Nevertheless, leading up to his confirmation hearing, Hegseth appeared to reconsider, telling reporters in December that “we support all women serving in our military today.” On Tuesday, he claimed, “Every service member, regardless of gender, who can meet objective occupational and readiness standards for a particular career field should be able to compete for those positions.”

Many Democratic senators rightfully challenged his previous opinions.

“So, can you explain what extraordinary event took place in the past 32 days that caused you to change the fundamental beliefs you’ve held for the last 12 years?” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) queried during the hearing.

That’s a question worth asking. Republicans, especially those aligned with the expanding MAGA faction, seem to thrive on dishonesty and evading accountability. Hegseth’s words on the podcast should carry more weight than what he claimed during the confirmation process.

It’s time to recognize that this is the best Republicans can offer

It’s disheartening to see that Republicans view Hegseth’s confirmation hearing as a success.

“Pete Hegseth is a 20-year combat veteran who earned two bronze stars and served in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) in a post on X after the hearing. “I can’t think of a better representative for our 1.3 million+ active military personnel.”

The potential of Hegseth leading our military is concerning. What’s even more alarming is what his seemingly smooth nomination process could foreshadow for Trump’s other selections. A second Trump administration appears to be taking shape, one that will be entirely influenced by a Republican Party seemingly uninterested in holding the president accountable or ensuring that competent individuals are in charge of our government.

Everyone needs to grasp that this is the best Republicans can provide to run American institutions like the military. After reviewing their available talent, they settled on Hegseth. That should give us all pause.

Follow columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno