WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� barely squeaked through to become secretary of defense earlier this year, facing lawmakers wary of the Fox News Channel host and skeptical of for the job.
Just three months later, he quickly became as he and other top U.S. officials used the popular Signal messaging application to discuss . A Pentagon inspector general’s report delivered to lawmakers Wednesday found his actions to personnel and mission.
And now, in what may be his most career-defining moment yet, Hegseth is confronting and demands he release the videotapes after a special operations team reportedly of a strike on an alleged drug boat . Some lawmakers and say the second strike would have violated the laws of armed conflict.
鈥淭hese are serious charges, and that鈥檚 the reason we鈥檙e going to have special oversight,鈥� said Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The scrutiny surrounding Hegseth鈥檚 brash leadership style is surfacing what has been long-building discontent in Congress over choice to helm the U.S. military. And it鈥檚 posing a potentially existential moment for Hegseth as the congressional committees overseeing the military launch an investigation amid mounting calls from Democratic senators for his resignation.
Hegseth vowed a 鈥榳arrior culture,鈥� but lawmakers take issue
Since working to become defense secretary, Hegseth has vowed to bring to the U.S. government’s most powerful and expensive department, from rebranding it as the Department of War to essentially discarding the rules that govern how soldiers conduct themselves when lives are on the line.
Hegseth on Tuesday cited the 鈥渇og of war鈥� in defending the follow-up strike, saying that there were explosions and fire and that he did not see survivors in the water when the second strike was ordered and launched. He chided those second-guessing his actions as being part of the problem.
Yet the approach to the operation was in line with the direction of the military under Hegseth, a former infantry officer with the Army National Guard, part of the post-Sept. 11 generation, who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and earned Bronze Stars.
During in September, he told an unusual gathering of top military brass whom he had summoned from all corners of the globe to the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia that they should not 鈥渇ight with stupid rules of engagement.鈥�
鈥淲e untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country,鈥� he said. 鈥淣o more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for warfighters.鈥�
But now lawmakers and say the Sept. 2 attack borders on illegal military action.
鈥淪omebody made a horrible decision. Somebody needs to be held accountable,鈥� said Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who in January held out support for Hegseth until only moments before casting a crucial vote for his confirmation.
鈥淪ecretary Talk Show Host may have been experiencing the 鈥榝og of war,鈥� but that doesn鈥檛 change the fact that this was an extrajudicial killing amounting to murder or a war crime,鈥� said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. 鈥淗e must resign.鈥�
Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican who served 30 years active duty in the Air Force, finishing his career at the rank of brigadier general, said he hasn’t been a fan of Hegseth’s leadership. “I don鈥檛 think he was up to the task,鈥� Bacon said.
Will Hegseth keep Trump’s support?
Trump, a Republican, has largely stood by his defense secretary, among the most important Cabinet-level positions. But the decisions by Wicker, alongside House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers of Alabama and the top Democrats on the committees, to open investigations provide a rare moment of Congress asserting itself and its authority to conduct oversight of the Trump administration.
, R-S.D., who shepherded the defense secretary鈥檚 nomination to confirmation, has said the boat strikes are within Trump鈥檚 authority as commander in chief 鈥� and he noted that Hegseth serves at the pleasure of the president.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have, at this point, an evaluation of the secretary,鈥� Thune said at the start of the week. 鈥淥thers can make those evaluations.鈥�
But Hegseth also has strong allies on Capitol Hill, and it remains unclear how much Republicans would actually be willing to push back on the president, especially when they have spent the first year in his administration yielding to his various demands.
, who cast a rare tiebreaking vote to confirm Hegseth, has vigorously defended him in the attack. And Sen. Eric Schmitt, another close ally to Trump, dismissed criticism of Hegseth as 鈥渘onsense” and part of an effort to undermine Trump’s focus on Central and South America.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not part of the Washington elite,” said Schmitt, R-Mo. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not a think tanker that people thought Trump was going to pick. … And so, for that reason and others, they just, they don鈥檛 like him.鈥�
Tension between some Republican lawmakers and the Pentagon has been rising for months. Capitol Hill has been angered by recent moves to restrict how defense officials communicate with lawmakers and the slow pace of information on Trump’s campaign to destroy boats carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela.
As he defends his job, Hegseth has spoken to both Wicker and Rogers, the top lawmakers overseeing the military. Rogers said he was 鈥渟atisfied鈥� with Hegseth after that conversation, while Wicker said that he told Hegseth that he would like him to testify to Congress.
Hegseth at first tried to brush aside the initial report about the strike by posting a photo of the cartoon character Franklin the Turtle firing on a boat from a helicopter, but that only inflamed criticism of him and angered lawmakers who felt he was not taking the allegations seriously.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York called Hegseth a 鈥渘ational embarrassment,鈥� adding the defense secretary鈥檚 social media post of the cartoon turtle is 鈥渟omething no serious leader would ever think of doing.鈥�
Schumer repeated his insistence Wednesday that Hegseth 鈥渞elease the full, unedited tapes鈥� of what happened.
What information will Congress get?
Later this week, the chairs of the armed services committees, along with the top Democrats on the committees, will hear private testimony from Navy Vice Adm. Frank 鈥淢itch鈥� Bradley, who the White House has said ordered the second strike on the survivors.
Republicans have been careful to withhold judgment on the strike until they complete their investigation, but Democrats say that these problems with Hegseth were a long time coming.
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, pointed back to Hegseth’s , at which issues were raised with his management of nonprofits, as well as allegations of a sexual assault and abuse, and drinking on the job. Hegseth had vowed not to consume alcohol if confirmed.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 suddenly change your judgment level or change your character when you get confirmed to be secretary of defense,鈥� Kaine said. 鈥淚nstead, the things that have been part of your character just become much more dire and existential.鈥�
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