Pete Hegseth vowed to restore “warrior ethos” to the military Tuesday even as President-elect Trump’s controversial Defense Secretary nominee faced tough grilling from Democrats at a Senate confirmation hearing. Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon said he would unleash the world’s most powerful fighting force that he says has been hollowed out by “woke” policies, diversity initiatives and mismanagement, claims Democratic lawmakers strongly dispute. “The primary charge President Trump gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense,” Hegseth said in an opening statement. “He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser focused on lethality, meritocracy, war fighting, accountability and readiness.” Hegseth claims he is uniquely qualified to lead the 3 million-strong U.S. military even though he lacks anything close to the traditional supervisory experience typical of a nominee for the post. “It’s time to give someone with dust on his boots a chance,” Hegseth said. “My only special interest is the war fighter.” Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be Defense secretary, appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Hegseth mostly kept his cool as he was quizzed about his checkered personal history and lack of leadership experience. There appeared to no bombshell disclosures that would derail his nomination on the first day of a weeklong confirmation process. However, he also brings a jarring record of past statements and actions, including allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking. He has vowed not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon although he declined to commit to resign the post if caught drinking. Hegseth dismissed the assault allegations, including one that led him to pay a settlement to a woman who accused him of rape, as “second and third-hand” rumors spread by liberal enemies. “That was a false claim and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth said of the 2017 incident that allegedly occurred at a veterans’ event in Monterey, California. Trump strongly backed his Pentagon pick, saying Hegseth has “my complete and total support” in a morning post on his social media site. Hegseth, a former Fox News host with scant management experience in the military or in the private sector, is considered among the most endangered of Trump’s Cabinet choices. With only a narrow GOP majority, Hegseth likely needs the backing of almost all Republican senators. One of the biggest threats to Hegseth’s confirmation comes from his outspokenly derisive views about women in military combat roles, minorities and “woke” generals. A protestor is removed during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be Defense secretary, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) He was asked to answer for his comments that women should “straight up” not be in combat roles in the military, a view he sought to soften following recent meetings with senators. “You will have to change how you see women to do this job well,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) told Hegseth. “The totality of your own writings and alleged conduct would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the Secretary of Defense,” said Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island). Hegseth insisted that he reveres all service members, including women in the ranks and minorities. He framed his criticism of women in combat and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies, or DEI, as a way of defending “high standards” for various roles in the military. He claimed he spoke for all members of the military, including “officers and enlisted, Black and white, young and old, men and women, all Americans.” “All warriors, this hearing is for you,” he said. Jennifer Rauchet, the wife of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, sits behind him during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Two former female combat veterans, Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, are among the lawmakers questioned him at the Armed Services Committee. Ernst is considered a pivotal vote if Hegseth is to win confirmation, and she sounded supportive of him during her questioning. Hegseth’s experience in the Army National Guard is widely viewed as an asset for the job and he peppered his answers with references to serving on the ground in combat. carrying heavy backpacks and grieving for fallen comrades.