On January 14, 2025, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a dramatic confirmation hearing to consider President Trump’s Defense Secretary pick, Pete Hegseth. Since the announcement, Hegseth’s nomination has been plagued by controversy, as details of his past service have been made public and his character called into question.  

Instead of taking the time to carefully question the nominee tapped to lead one of our most important national security posts, Schmitt provided Hegseth a welcome distraction from the very troubling details of his past, including a payment made to a woman accusing Hegseth of rape, by presenting a large sign with the word ‘military’ misspelled. 

“At this precarious time in global relations, it is of utmost importance that our national defense leaders be wholly vetted and considered before taking on these top posts. It is very disappointing that Senator Schmitt, Missouri’s representative on the Armed Services Committee, did not carefully consider his task and used his opportunity to rail against the boogeyman,”   said Missouri Democratic Party Vice Chair Yvonne Reeves-Chong.

“Our servicemen and women put their lives on the line for our safety every single day and are often separated from their families for months at a time. Senator Schmitt owed the tens of thousands of active duty Missouri soldiers and their families whose lives will depend on Hegseth’s competence more preparation and serious consideration about their futures than this performance demonstrated.”

Background:

Yvonne Reeves-Chong lives in Pulaski County and is serving her second term as Vice Chair of the Missouri Democratic Party. Reeves-Chong is the proud daughter and sister of service-members who dedicated their lives to defending American freedom.  

Newsweek:  Republican Uses Misspelled Sign During Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing

The New Yorker:  Pete Hegseth’s Secret History 

A whistle-blower report and other documents suggest that Trump’s nominee to run the Pentagon was forced out of previous leadership positions for financial mismanagement, sexist behavior, and being repeatedly intoxicated on the job.

Washington Post:   Defense Pick Hegseth Paid Accuser But Denies Sexual Assault 

“At some point in the evening, the complaint alleged, Jane Doe received a text from two women at the bar who told her that ‘Hegseth was getting pushy about his interest in taking them upstairs to his room.’ Jane Doe, who was nearby, came over and talked to those two women, and after they left, she ‘remembered sensing that Hegseth was irritated,’ the memo said. What happened next is in dispute. According to the memo, Jane Doe ‘didn’t remember anything until she was in Hegseth’s hotel room and then stumbling to find her hotel room.’ The memo said that her memory of six to nine hours ‘was very hazy,’ and that her husband was searching for her and was relieved when she finally showed up. The following day, the woman returned home and ‘had a moment of hazy memory of being raped the night before, and had a panic attack,’ the memo said. The woman then went to the emergency room, where she received a rape-kit examination that ‘was positive for semen,’ the memo said. The woman gave county authorities a statement about what happened, according to the memo sent to the transition team.”

MissouriNet:  Missouri’s Eric Schmitt Supports Hegseth for U.S. Defense Secretary During Heated Hearing