BREAKING: Pete Hegseth tells Senate confirmation committee he will restore ‘warrior ethos’ to Pentagon

Hegseth said in his opening statement that he will "restore the warrior ethos to the Pentagon" if confirmed to the position and added that he wants to rebuild the American military and re-establish a policy of deterrence for enemies of the United States.

He started by thanking God as well as his family, "Thank you to my incredible wife Jennifer, who has changed my life and been with me throughout this entire process. I love you sweetheart, and I thank God for you. And as Jenny and I pray together each morning, all glory—regardless of the outcome—belongs to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His grace and mercy abound each day. May His will be done."

Hegseth later added that having the warrior ethos will "reestablish trust in our military—and address the recruiting, retention and readiness crisis in our ranks," adding, "The strength of our military is our unity—our shared purpose—not our differences."

"It is true that I don't have a similar biography to Defense secretaries of the last 30 years. But, as President Trump also told me, we've repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly 'the right credentials' — whether they are retired generals, academics or defense contractor executives — and where has it gotten us?" he said.

"He believes, and I humbly agree, that it's time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent. Someone with no vested interest in certain companies or specific programs or approved narratives," Hegseth later added.

The nominee for Defense Secretary emphasized that the military has been degraded by previous Pentagon heads with such initiatives as DEI programs and others. "Our standards will be high, and they will be equal (not equitable, that is a very different word)," he added.

Hegseth has been criticized for his role as a host at Fox and Friends, with multiple pundits and Democratic politicians casting doubt on his abilities as a result. Hegseth, however, is also a graduate of Princeton and Harvard and earned two bronze stars while serving in the military. He has done multiple combat veteran and has done tours in Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, and Afghanistan during his 20-year military career.

He has possibly faced the most scrutiny as he has been nominated to the position, facing allegations regarding his drinking habits at work, although this has been denied by him as well as coworkers. Media coverage has also dug up sexual assault allegations against him from 2017, however he has maintained that the allegations are false and he was not charged with a crime.

Trump as well as Hegseth have said that they are confident he will be confirmed to the role.

Hegseth Opening on Scribd