WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth faced senators today, drawing Republican praise and Democratic criticism over his “unconventional” background as a combat veteran and TV host.

Republican Missouri U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt questioned Hegseth during a confirmation hearing today. He started praising Hegseth for his warrior ethos.

Sen. Schmitt asked Hegseth how he would fix the Pentagon’s culture of “weakness and wokeness.” Hegseth answered that he would remove DEI and CRT initiatives from the institution.

“This is not a time for equity. Equity is a very different word than equality. Equality is the bedrock of our military. Men and women, duty, positions, in uniform, black, white. It does not matter. We treat you equally based on who you are in the image of God as an individual. We all get the same bad haircuts,” responded Hegseth.

Hegseth continues, saying, “Equity prescribes some sort of outcome based on differing attributes that we have that divide us. What skin color are you? What gender are you? And then infuse that into institutions that manifest in things like quotas, formal or informal. Which does what to morale? Sends it down and it makes people feel like theyre being judged by something other than how good they are at their job, which is poisonous inside institutions.”

Schmitt spoke with News Nation today. This is what he said about the nomination:

“I don’t think there’s any Republicans that are apprehensive about this at all. In fact, I think we’re really excited about getting Pete Hegseth in that important role,” said Schmitt.

The confirmation hearings are expected to focus heavily on the Department of Defense’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, which some Republicans characterize as divisive and harmful to military recruitment.

“For too long, I think the last four years, the Pentagon has been captured by this woke culture. It’s not some social experiment. Our military has been to defend our country and you’ve had this ridiculous and divisive DEI permeate our military. Recruiting is down. We need a reformer in there who’s going to take on DEI, get rid of it, and actually face China as the real threat that we have in the 21st century. Also, there’s procurement reform. We’ve got to do things more efficiently.”

The nomination appears to align with President Trump’s broader reform agenda, focusing on institutional changes within federal agencies. Republican lawmakers view this appointment as part of a larger strategy to implement internal reforms at key departments, including Defense and Justice.

“We’ve had the same old folks who go to the same cocktail parties in Washington, DC for decades. I think we actually need new blood in there. We need a reformer and I think Pete’s going to do a great job,” said Schmitt.

Historical confirmation patterns suggest a favorable outcome for the nominee. Since the 1970s, only four nominees from a president’s own party have failed to receive confirmations, indicating strong odds for confirmation despite Democratic opposition.

“I think the Democrats are pining away and trying to create this drama that Republicans are going to defect. The truth is, President Trump ran on a reform agenda. It’s disruptors versus the establishment, and he is putting reform-minded people to lead these agencies that need to be reformed from the inside.”

Democrats, led by Senate Armed Services Committee’s top Democrat Jack Reed, challenged Hegseth’s fitness for the role, citing his controversial statements about women and Black troops, allegations of sexual misconduct, and questions about his drinking history. Hegseth denied wrongdoing regarding a 2017 sexual assault allegation that resulted in a confidential settlement, while Republicans defended his “unconventional” background and dismissed the criticisms as partisan attacks.