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WATCH: Sen. Gillibrand grills Hegseth on his statements about women in the military - PBS NewsHour (2 videos)
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., grilled Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth on Tuesday about his past statements about women and LGBTQ+ service members, particularly those in combat roles.
Gillibrand said Hegseth's remarks, first raised in his Senate confirmation hearing by New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, cast doubt on his pledge to be nonpartisan .
"You said in your statement: You don't want politics in the DoD. Everything you've said in these public statements is politics," the New York senator said. "I don't want women, I don't want moms. What's wrong with a mom, by the way? Once you have babies, you therefore are no longer able to be lethal? I mean, you're basically saying women, after they have children, can't ever serve in the military in a combat role. It's a silly thing to say."
Hegseth is a military veteran and conservative media personality. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary has faced allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking, and been criticized as a nominee for his controversial views on diversity and religion in the military. - Aired on 01/14/2025.
WATCH: Hegseth’s statements denigrate women, moms and LGBTQ service members, Gillibrand says - PBS NewsHour
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. questioned defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth in a confirmation hearing Tuesday held by the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
Gillibrand also asked Hegseth about comments he has made regarding women and the LGBTQ community in the military, noting her disappointment that the two had not met prior to the hearing.
"Did you know that when Don't Ask, Don't Tell was in place, we lost so many crucial personnel, over 1,000 in mission critical areas? We lost 10 percent of all our foreign language speakers because of a political policy. You said in your statement, you don't want politics in the DOD. Everything you've said in these public statements is politics," the senator said.
She also blasted him for his comments about moms in the military.
“What's wrong with a mom, by the way? Once you have babies, you therefore are no longer able to be lethal? I mean, you're basically saying women after they have children can't ever serve in the military in a combat role. It's a silly thing to say."
Hegseth is a military veteran and conservative media personality. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary has faced allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking, and been criticized as a nominee for his controversial views on diversity and religion in the military. - Aired on 01/14/2025.