Pete Hegseth, in Senate confirmation hearing, blames Oct. 7 on US withdrawal from Afghanistan

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

66% : Hegseth's hearing was disrupted by several protesters, some of whom spouted anti-Zionist rhetoric and criticized American support for the Israeli military.
51% : The cross is one of multiple Crusades-inspired tattoos on Hegseth, who also has a Hebrew variant of Jesus' name; experts on religious extremism have said they believe the tattoos to be a sign that the nominee is aligned with Christian nationalism, a movement which seeks to apply Christian law to the United States.
48% : U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.
45% : Elsewhere in his contentious hearing, he said he supported Israel "destroying and killing every last member of Hamas," and defended a tattoo of his that is closely associated with Christian nationalism.
40% : It was the first high-profile hearing for a cabinet post as Trump enters his second term, and was closely watched given Hegseth's limited military leadership experience, the litany of sexual misconduct allegations against him and his reputed alcoholism, as well as his documented opposition to women serving combat roles in the military (views he has since walked back; he has also denied reports of his alcoholism and vowed not to drink on the job).

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