Democrats and veterans groups have taken aim at President Trump's defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's belief that women should not serve in combat roles, and at least two key Republican senators have also weighed in on his position. I'm looking for answers.
Mr. Hegseth, 44, a Fox News host, has often made questionable comments about military matters that he would oversee if confirmed by the Pentagon chief. But Mr Hegseth's claims last week raised concerns that his views could discourage women who want to serve or alienate those currently in uniform. .
“I just want to be candid and say that women shouldn't be in combat roles,” Hegseth said on the “Sean Ryan Show” podcast. “It didn't make us more effective, it didn't make us more lethal, it didn't make the fight more complicated.”
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. There is no need to encourage it in places where men in positions are more capable.”
The comments quickly gained attention after President Trump's surprise announcement of Hegseth's selection on Tuesday, with veteran U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) asking reporters to clarify his position. said.
“Even though she's on my staff, she's an infantry officer. . . . She's a tough woman, so he's going to have to explain that,” said Ernst, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services and Emerging Threats subcommittee. spoke.
A spokesperson for Mr. Ernst's office later told The Hill that Mr. Ernst looked forward to visiting Mr. Hegseth.
Incoming Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) also said he wanted to know more about Hegseth's position.
“We've gotten to the point where women are involved in almost every part of the military service,” he told Politico, adding, “We'll look at exactly what we're going to do.” [Hegseth’s] That's the point of view. ”
But Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Iraq war veteran and Purple Heart recipient, had much sharper words.
“Where do you think I lost my leg?” Duckworth told CNN on Wednesday.
Duckworth, one of the first women to fly combat missions as an Army helicopter pilot, lost the mobility of both her legs and part of her right arm when her plane was hit by a grenade in 2004.
“Look, he's not qualified to be Secretary of Defense, and he's clearly making comments like this about how he doesn't think women should be in combat. . . . I asked him. How will it strengthen our military?”
She further noted that there are currently more than 225,000 active-duty women in the military, saying, “We cannot go to war today without military women.”
Trump's transition team did not respond to a request for comment on Hegseth's comments about women in combat.
Women have served in combat roles for the better part of three decades, ever since Congress repealed laws banning women from serving on fighter jets and combat ships in 1991 and 1993, respectively.
The Navy subsequently lifted its ban on women serving on submarines in 2010 and ended its combat exclusion policy in 2013, allowing women to serve in ground combat units.
A few years later, in 2015, former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter opened all combat positions to military women. These advances have made it possible for women to fill some 220,000 jobs previously off limits to women, including special operations, infantry, armored units, and reconnaissance units.
Women currently make up about 17.5 percent of the military's active-duty force, according to 2022 data from the Department of Defense.
Hegseth, a decorated veteran who served as an Army National Guard infantry officer in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has in the past accused the military of lowering standards for women in combat positions. was.
“Women should not be in combat,” Hegseth said in an interview with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro in June. “They are life givers, not life takers. I know many great soldiers and women who have served in the military, but they should not be in my infantry battalion.”
In his remarks last week, Hegseth also suggested that allowing women to fight has led to increased casualties on the battlefield.
“Everything about men and women serving together means it makes the situation more complicated, it complicates the combat, and that means more casualties,” Hegseth said.
The comments angered veterans groups and Democratic lawmakers who say women have competed and succeeded on the same playing field as men. They also feared that if approved, Hegseth's opinion would have a negative impact on women seeking to join the military at a time when the military is struggling to recruit.
Allison Jaslow, chief executive of the US Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association, who served in Iraq as a platoon leader in 2004, believes women in combat have proven tougher than many men. .
“Need proof? Look at the women who graduated from Ranger School, a school so grueling that nearly half of the men who enroll fail,” she said in a statement to The Hill. “These women deserve a Secretary of Defense who recognizes that reality and will ensure that the military's culture embraces that reality, especially as we continue to face a draft crisis.”
Joanna “Jojo” Sweat, a Marine Corps veteran and national organizing director for the progressive veterans organization Common Defense, said the organization’s Women Veterans Association was unhappy about Hegseth’s expected nomination. He said he was holding it and discussing it.
“His record dismissal of diversity efforts and reluctance to recognize the contributions of women and LGBTQ service members is a dangerous addition to a culture that marginalizes and undermines our voices, service, and sacrifice.” “It shows a setback,” she said. “Hegseth's position ignores progress toward a more inclusive military that reflects the diversity of the countries it defends.”
Sweat, a radio operator who joined the military in 1997 and was deployed to Iraq in 2003, is one of the many female Marines in combat support roles.
She said one member pointed out that the issue of women in combat is a whole other can of worms, saying, “We have always been in combat, but our stories have never been told. “Many were behind enemy lines or fighting on the front lines.” Many were disguised as soldiers providing various forms of direct support and firing on the front lines. ”
Current House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith said Hegseth's appointment would be a “step forward.”
“Every person in uniform deserves respect, appreciation, and a fair opportunity to serve. Trump's appointment of Pete Hegseth is a step backwards. We will stand against any attempt to deny or limit our right to serve,” said Smith. I wrote to X.
Hegseth could face a tough road to confirmation because Republicans have a slim majority in the Senate and his past statements and relatively untested positions could pose obstacles.
