Secretary of Defense candidate Pete Hegseth appeared on Fox News' “Hannity” Monday night, retracting previous comments suggesting women shouldn't serve in combat roles, saying he doesn't believe women should serve in combat roles. praised.
“Some of our greatest warriors are women who serve to protect this country and love our country and raise their right hands to love their country and protect its flag. . And they do it all over the world every day,” he said. after a series of meetings with U.S. Army veteran Sen. Joni Ernst.
“So, I'm not being presumptuous in any way, but since President Trump asked me to be Secretary of Defense, if I had that opportunity, I would be Secretary of Defense for all warriors, men and women. We look forward to the amazing contributions they have made to our military.”
“sean ryan showIn a November podcast, Hegseth criticized women in the military, saying men are “more capable.”
“What I'm saying frankly is that we shouldn't put women in combat roles. It doesn't make us more effective, it doesn't make us more lethal, it doesn't make combat more complicated. No,” Hegseth said.
Furthermore, he added: “We've all worked with women, and they're amazing. But our institutions have traditionally – not traditionally throughout human history – worked with women like that. Where men in positions are more capable, there is no need to encourage it.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and veteran U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) weighed in on Hegseth's remarks.
“They are [women] Be ready to make an impact. They make us better. they make us strong. Again, what I've seen from women is pretty incredible and I'm not like that. This is not an exaggeration. This is a fact,” Austin said in an interview with NBC News.
Hegseth spent much of last week at the Capitol and returned this week to meet with senators and seek to allay concerns about his history, including allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking.
Despite the backlash, Mr. Hegseth and Mr. Trump reaffirmed their desire to continue the uphill battle for a successful Senate confirmation hearing.
“He went to Princeton, he went to Harvard, and he was a good student at both. But Mr. Trump loves the military, and I think the public is starting to realize that, so we're looking forward to other I'm going to work with a lot of people on his nomination,” Trump said in a sit-down interview with Kristen Welker.
