Greg NashIowa Sen. Joni Ernst (R) questions Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon, during his confirmation hearing on Jan. 14, 2025.
Pete Hegseth said that he will support the continuation of women serving in combat roles if he is approved to become Defense secretary during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
Roughly two hours into the lengthy meeting with members, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) asked Hegseth if he would back the ongoing ability for women to serve in combat as part of their military service.
“Yes, women will have access to ground combat roles … given the standards remain high. And we’ll have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded in any one of these cases,” Hegseth told Ernst, who noted that the pair discussed this issue intensely during their multiple private meetings ahead of Tuesday.
“That’ll be part of — one of the first things we do at the Pentagon is reviewing that in a gender-neutral way,” Hegseth continued. “The standards of readiness and meritocracy is front and center, but absolutely. It would be the privilege of a lifetime, if confirmed, to be the secretary of Defense for all men and women in uniform who fight so heroically. They have so many other options. They decide to put their right hand up for our country, and it would be an honor to have the chance to lead them.”
Hegseth had said in early November before he was tapped for the role that the military “should not have women in combat roles.”
“It hasn’t made us more effective. Hasn’t made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated,” he said on Nov. 7 on a podcast. “Hasn’t made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated.”
The Fox News anchor also told Ernst that he also plans to appoint a senior level official dedicated to sexual assault prevention and response at her urging. The Iowa Republican has been a leading advocate for highlighting the prevalence of sexual assault in the military.
“Yes I will,” he said.
Hegseth is among President-elect Trump’s most controversial choices to join his Cabinet. He was questioned multiple times prior to his back-and-forth with Ernst by Democrats who were critical of his past remarks about women serving in combat roles.
Tags Joni Ernst Pete Hegseth
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