Closing summary
After more than four hours, the Senate armed services committee has wrapped up its confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee as defense secretary. Hegseth’s selection was controversial from almost the moment it was announced, after reports emerged that he had been accused of sexual assault, had been unfaithful in his marriages and was known for drinking to excess. Democrats have vowed to oppose him, and some Republicans, who hold the majority in the Senate, have seemed uneasy as well. But as the hearing came to a close, there was no sign from GOP lawmakers on the panel that they were willing to vote against confirming him, particularly after Hegseth walked back previous statements he had made against women serving in military combat roles.
Here’s a look back at what else happened today.
Hegseth admitted “I’m not a perfect person” in his opening statement, but decried the reports about his misconduct as part of a “coordinated smear campaign” intended to hurt himself and Trump. He also described himself as a “change agent” who would make the Pentagon more responsive to global threats.
Joni Ernst, a Republican senator and combat veteran, was among those who signaled skepticism about Hegseth after his nomination was announced, but at the hearing said she had “many productive conversations” with the nominee in the weeks since.
Mazie Hirono, a Democratic senator, tried to nail down Hegseth’s views on invading Greenland, staying sober and shooting protesters, but the nominee largely refused to answer. Fellow Democrat Tim Kaine aggressively questioned him over his infidelity and alleged sexual assault, the latter of which Hegseth called a “false claim”.
Jack Smith, the justice department special counsel who led a fruitless prosecution of Trump for attempting to overturn the 2020 election, defended his decision to bring the charges and called claims of bias “laughable” in a report.
Flags will fly at full-staff at the Capitol for Trump’s inauguration next week, House speaker Mike Johnson said. They’ll return to half-staff the following day for the remainder of Jimmy Carter’s mourning period.
Updated
US flags were lowered to half-staff for 30 days after Jimmy Carter died, but Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, has ordered them raised at the Capitol for Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
“On January 20th, the flags at the Capitol will fly at full-staff to celebrate our country coming together behind the inauguration of our 47th President, Donald Trump. The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter,” Johnson said in a statement.
