Hegseth's hearing: What did we learn?

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, was a polished performer during his confirmation hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Hegseth, known best for being a former host on Fox News, nimbly evaded most of the Democrats’ questions regarding allegations of excessive drinking, claims of sexual assault and his lack of managerial experience. Instead, the MAGA bandwagon steamrolled the discussion, complete with prolonged attacks from Republican senators about the supposed “wokeness” that taints the U.S. military.

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Evasion tactics and distractions aside (of which there were several), what did the hearing reveal about how the nominee would manage the Pentagon, if confirmed? I’m joined by colleagues Karen Tumulty and Eugene Robinson to explore what we learned on Tuesday about Hegseth — and what we didn’t.

David Ignatius: Pete Hegseth was a poised and confident witness, always staying on message. It’s obvious that he’d make a good Pentagon spokesman, as one senator observed. But what kind of defense secretary would he be? What do you two think about his fitness for this enormously important job, after watching today’s hearing?

Eugene Robinson: I think he looks and sounds the part — in Donald Trump’s imagination. And I heard nothing on Tuesday to make me think he remotely has the experience or the ability to do the job.

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