Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  Hegseth defends record in fiery confirmation hearingPresident-elect Trump's pick for Defense secretary made his case before the Senate Armed Services Committee and refuted allegations of sexual assault and other accusations of improper behavior.© AP In opening remarks, Hegseth said he was "laser focused" on restoring lethality to the Defense Department.  "When President Trump chose me for this position, the primary charge he gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense," said Hegseth, who pitched himself as a "change agent" with no conflicts of interest.  Republicans largely lined up behind Hegseth, who appears to have survived the hearing without any major hiccups that could derail his nomination.  "The nominee is unconventional — just like that New York developer who rode down the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the committee. “That may be what makes Mr. Hegseth an excellent choice.”   But Democrats spent much of the hearing raising concerns about various allegations against Hegseth, from financial mismanagement of two veterans groups he once led to a 2017 sexual assault allegation and excessive drinking in the workplace.  “Secretary of Defense demands a leader of unparalleled experience, wisdom and, above all else, character,” said ranking member Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.). “I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job.”   Hegseth refuted each of the allegations against him as a smear campaign from the media.   The former Fox News personality and Army National Guard veteran also came under fire from Democrats about his personal views, including banning women from serving in combat roles. Hegseth said he would not prohibit women from serving in combat roles but would ensure that high standards are met for the positions. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)  told Hegseth his comments were "brutal" and "mean," while Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) slammed him for reversing position on the issue only after his nomination. “Now I’ve heard of deathbed conversions, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a nomination conversion,” said Warren.  Democrats also said Hegseth lacked relevant experience to lead the Pentagon, one of the largest organizations in the world with some 3 million troops and civilian members.  “Do you think that the way to raise the minimum standards of the people who serve us is to lower the standards for the secretary of Defense?" said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). But even those concerns were batted away by Republicans, who spent much of the hearing defending the nominee from the Democratic attacks. “It seems to me that you’ve supervised far more people than the average United States senator,” Wicker told Hegseth.  Hegseth can afford to lose three GOP votes if every Democratic and Independent senator votes against him. Hegseth has come under mounting allegations since his nomination was announced by Trump around mid-November and spent days on Capitol Hill meeting with GOP senators to shore up support. His nomination appeared to be sinking in late November, but Hegseth, with the support of Trump and his allies, was able to turn it around by the holidays.  On Tuesday, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who was among the most concerned in the GOP about Hegseth, raised no serious objections and said she had "productive" conversations with him.  Hegseth had crowds of supporters show up to the hearing to back him, including Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla), Trump's pick for national security adviser. Walz lauded Hegseth's sense of duty and character as "traits that President Trump recognized when making the decision to nominate Pete for this critical role."  Read more on the hearing 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:  What is ASEAN, union referenced in Hegseth hearing Sen. Tammy Duckworth put Pete Hegseth’s foreign policy chops to the test during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday as President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon. The Illinois Democrat asked Hegseth to name one country in ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, that was important to the U.S. She then asked how many countries were in the grouping ...  Full Story   Nearly half worldwide hold antisemitic views: ADL Nearly half of people worldwide hold antisemitic views, according to a new survey by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The Global 100 survey released in coordination with Ipsos on Tuesday found that 46 percent of the world’s adult population have antisemitic attitudes, with the highest levels recorded in the West Bank, Gaza and Kuwait ...  Full Story  Puerto Rico asks Trump for help after Venezuela’s Maduro threatens invasion Puerto Rico’s new Republican governor is drawing attention to Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro’s military threats against the U.S. island in the wake of President-elect Trump’s calls for U.S. territorial expansion. In a letter to Trump dated Monday, Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón said Maduro’s plea for Latin American troops to invade Puerto Rico “is an open threat to the United States, our national security and stability in the region" ...  Full Story  Biden to lift Cuba terrorism designation, reversing Trump decision in final week in office The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST) in exchange for the release of political prisoners jailed for protesting against the regime in July 2021. The Trump administration placed the SST designation on Cuba in the last week of the president-elect’s first term, and Biden officials said they are in contact with the Trump transition team over their action ...  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  Doug Collins, Trump's pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, will testify to the Senate next week for his confirmation hearing.A ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas is inching closer to the finish line. Confirmation hearings for several key officials nominated for the incoming Trump administration will continue through Thursday.  In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill:Gingrich warns support for Trump deportations could ‘collapse’ Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) warned in an interview that support for mass deportations promised after President-elect Trump takes office could “collapse.”  “Lincoln once said that with popular sentiment, anything is possible; without popular sentiment, nothing is possible,” Gingrich … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The Atlantic Council screens a new documentary on the Ukraine war during a 2 p.m. ET hybrid event. The Center for Strategic and International Studies unpacks the Pentagon's innovation strategy for a 1 p.m. hybrid event. The National Defense Industrial Association hosts a forum with officials from the DoD's Chemical and Biological Defense Program and DHS's Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.The Association of the U.S. Army hosts a conference on the industrial base. The American Enterprise Institute chats with former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and former Rep. Mike Rogers on civilian-military relations during a 1:45 p.m. hybrid event.   What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: Afghans evacuated by US in chaos of withdrawal are languishing in foreign camps, documents reveal (The Guardian) Europe grows more optimistic Trump won't abandon Ukraine (Bloomberg)  Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Democrats’ hopes of derailing Trump nominees fading fast Democrats’ hopes of defeating any of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees appear to be fizzling as Senate committees prepare for the … Read more House Republicans pass bill to ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports  House Republicans on Tuesday passed a bill to bar transgender student-athletes from competing in girls’ sports, putting the contentious issue front … Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-ed related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: How America can rebuild its fleet to counter China’s maritime dominance  You're all caught up. 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