Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  Police report details alleged sexual assault involving Hegseth Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick to be the next secretary of Defense, has denied that he sexually assaulted the woman, identified in the police report only as Jane Doe.© APHegseth traveled to Capitol Hill on Thursday with Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Trump's vice president-elect, to shore up support with lawmakers. While on Capitol Hill, Hegseth declared himself “completely cleared” of the 2017 sexual assault case involving Doe.  He also said it was an “an incredible opportunity” to be Defense secretary and that he takes it "very seriously." Republican senators also appeared eager to put the matter behind them. Hegseth met with Sens. John Barrasso (Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Markwayne Mullin (Okla.), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.), Eric Schmitt (Mo.) and incoming chair of the Armed Services Committee Roger Wicker (Miss.), none of whom expressed major concerns. “Pete pledged that the Pentagon will focus on strength and hard power — not the current administration’s woke political agenda,” Barrasso said in a statement Thursday.  "Let them answer this stuff, you know, give them their day," added Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).  The meeting came on the same the city of Monterey, Calif., released a detailed police report after a public records request, a copy of which was obtained by The Hill.  In the report, Doe says she was at a bar in the Hyatt Hotel in Monterey on the night of Oct. 7, 2017, when she was introduced to Hegseth, a keynote speaker at a Republican conference event.  Doe said she had an argument with Hegseth and claimed they went to his hotel room where he allegedly blocked her exit and assaulted her. The woman later went to a hospital for a sexual assault exam.   The police report said Hegseth claimed that the woman hit on him at the event and led him to the hotel room. Hegseth says he was "buzzed" that night and the sexual encounter was consensual, but the woman expressed regret after the incident for cheating on her husband.  Through his attorney, Hegseth has also denied the allegations and accused the woman of trying to blackmail him.  His attorney paid the woman in 2023 to settle the threat of a lawsuit but the lawyer argued it was a reaction to concern about public backlash during the #metoo movement and not a confession of guilt.  Read more at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:  GOP senators optimistic about Hegseth’s confirmation after meetingsRepublicans senators projected optimism Thursday that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s controversial pick to be the next Pentagon chief, will ultimately be confirmed, despite a 2017 sexual assault allegation against him. Hegseth visited the Capitol alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance in a bid to help his confirmation process, meeting with Republican Sens. John Barrasso (Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Markwayne …  Full Story  Putin says Russia fired intermediate-range ballistic missile at UkraineRussian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia fired a new, nonnuclear intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine, part of a wide-ranging TV address that sharply criticized the U.S. for escalating the war. Putin said Russia had refrained from firing intermediate-range missiles but decided to carry out the test on Thursday after the U.S. allowed Ukraine to fire long-range missiles at targets inside his country. …  Full Story  Graham knocks ICC over Netanyahu, Gallant: ‘A dangerous joke’Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) knocked the International Criminal Court (ICC) over its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. “The International Corrupt Criminal Court has acted in the most absurd and irresponsible manner possible by issuing arrest warrants against the Prime Minister and former Defense Minister of Israel while there is a serious cloud of allegations …  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant and top Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, who is presumed dead.   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill:Warren, Kim bill requires nat sec nominees to disclose foreign government work Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen.-elect Andy Kim (D-N.J.) are joining forces on a bill that would require several presidential nominees working on national security issues to publicly disclose past work for foreign governments. The bill, introduced in both chambers Thursday, would require … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The Atlantic Council looks at U.S. and German policy on Beijing during a 10 a.m. ET hybrid event. The Center for Strategic and International Studies assesses U.S. strength through alliances in the Indo-Pacific for a 3 p.m. hybrid event. The Hudson Institute looks at technology and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific for a 9 a.m. in-person event. The Brookings Institution unpacks the Indo-Pacific regional order during a 9 a.m. online event. The Asia Society Policy Institute talks on Trump and Asia policy for a 9 a.m. online event.  What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: Senior North Korean general wounded in recent Ukrainian strike, western official says (Wall Street Journal)  Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: What’s next for Matt Gaetz: 5 possibilities Former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) political future is up in the air following his announcement that he is taking his name out of the running to be … Read more Rove: Trump will pay a price for Cabinet pick ‘chaos’ Republican strategist Karl Rove said President-elect Trump will pay a price over the “chaos” he’s caused by picking controversial Cabinet members. … Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: The Ukraine war Trump could inherit after Biden’s escalationTrump’s NATO tightrope: Reforming the alliance while wrangling Capitol Hill  World War III is now Trump’s to lose  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe