Pete Hegseth just failed Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s (D-IL) test of whether he is fit to serve as Secretary of Defense in Donald Trump’s second administration.
During Hegseth’s Senate confirmation hearing, Duckworth asked the former Fox News host to “name the importance of at least one of the nations in ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations],” as well as the type of agreement we have with that nation and the total number of nations in the inter-governmental union.
Related
GOP senator makes cruel joke about trans people to distract from Pete Hegseth’s disastrous hearing
Hegseth was getting slammed at the hearing by Democrats for his allegedly sordid past. Then a Republican tried to… lighten the mood.
Hegseth said he couldn’t tell her the total number but said he knew we had allies in South Korea, Japan, and in AUKUS with Australia (AUKUS is a partnership between the United States, the U.K., and Australia).
Insights for the LGBTQ+ community
Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
Duckworth informed him that none of those countries are members of ASEAN. “I suggest you do a little homework,” she said.
The exchange is significant because ASEAN has been considered a crucial piece of U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific.
YIKES! Duckworth asks Hegseth to name a country that's in ASEAN. He names three — none of which are in ASEAN. "I suggest you do a little homework," she says.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 14, 2025 at 11:54 AM
[image or embed]
The hearing included numerous questions about Hegseth’s alleged drinking problems, allegations of sexual assault and past statements opposing women serving in military combat roles. In many instances under questioning from Democratic senators, Hegseth deflected or avoided answering questions directly.
Shortly after being named as Trump’s nominee, media reports revealed that the former Fox News host was accused by his own mother of abusing women and by previous coworkers of drinking on the job and sexually pursuing female colleagues. He had also been previously accused of paying off a woman who accused him of raping her while they attended a Republican conference in 2017 and of racking up over $400,000 in debt while serving as president of the organization Veterans for Freedom.
Hegseth repeatedly said during his hearing that the accusations against him were a “coordinated smear campaign orchestrated in the media against us.”
Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.