The eyes of America are on Roger Wicker, Mississippi’s senior U.S. senator, this morning as the recently-named chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee leads an extraordinary confirmation hearing. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. secretary of defense, is facing a barrage of questions on Tuesday from members of the powerful Senate committee that is considering his nomination. Hegseth, a former FOX News host who is among several controversial Trump nominations, faces scrutiny because of accusations of excessive drinking and an allegation of sexual assault. Wicker, leading one of the Senate’s most prominent committees, is presiding over the Tuesday contentious hearing amid large protests outside the Capitol building. Shortly after he began the meeting, Wicker worked to defend Trump’s pick. “This nomination is unconventional,” Wicker said to open the hearing. “This nominee is unconventional, just like that New York developer who rode down the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president. That may be what makes Mr. Hegseth an excellent choice to improve this unacceptable status quo….”  Wicker said “the vast majority of the accusations leveled at Mr. Hegseth have come from anonymous sources,” adding that Hegseth’s background as a FOX News host was an asset to the role of defense secretary.  “We must not underestimate the importance of having a top-shelf communicator as the secretary of defense,” Wicker said. Hegseth, in his opening statement, said “there was a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated in the media against us.” The hearing has gotten intense at times, with Democrats on the committee, in particular, pressing Hegseth about his past and his current views on America’s military and other defense matters. If the Armed Services Committee advances Hegseth’s nomination Tuesday, the full U.S. Senate will likely vote on his confirmation on Jan. 20, the same day Trump is sworn into office. WATCH: You can watch Tuesday’s full hearing led by Wicker by clicking this link. The post Sen. Roger Wicker, in national spotlight, defends Pete Hegseth as Trump’s defense secretary pick appeared first on Mississippi Today.