WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., joined Navy SEALs and other veterans Monday to show his support of Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth ahead of Tuesday’s nomination hearing.
Tuberville has been a strong advocate for Hegseth since President-elect Donald Trump announced his pick for defense secretary. Hegseth is a military veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq and was most recently a co-host of ‘Fox & Friends Weekend.’
Hegseth’s confirmation process won’t be smooth as he is facing allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse and controversial past comments such as saying women should not be in combat roles. Hegseth has since changed his tone on women in combat, saying he’s more interested in maintaining standards for the military and its operations, according to the Associated Press.
Tuberville showed his full support for the nominee at Monday’s press conference with veterans.
“I’m 110% behind Pete Hegseth,” Tuberville said.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Tuberville will get the chance to ask Hegseth questions during Tuesday’s hearing. Hegseth will face questions from both sides of the aisle, but the GOP’s 53-seat majority is ultimately expected to work in his favor.
“He will be ripped,” Tuberville said. “He will be demeaned. He will be talked about, but we’re going to get him across the finish line.”
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a member of the Armed Services Committee, sent a 33-page letter last week to Hegseth expressing her concerns about him. They included his “mismanagement of two non-profit organizations you ran, accusations of sexual assault and drinking problems, your blatant disregard for the contributions of female servicemembers.”
On the Senate floor Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. explained his doubts about Hegseth’s experience.
“Unfortunately Mr. Hegseth’s background is deeply troubling to put it generously,” Schumer said.
At Monday’s press conference, veterans and Navy SEALs also spoke in support of Hegseth’s nomination, including veteran Jessica Quezada who served in the Marine Corps.
“I am a woman,” Quezada said. “I am a Marine Corps veteran whose in support of a man whose going to represent every single person in the uniform regardless of their gender, regardless of their color, regardless of the DEI woke intent to utilize something that will completely dismantle who we are as a fighting force.”
Tuberville said having Hegseth as secretary of defense would be crucial for Alabama’s military presence and installations.
“It goes on and on in what we do for the military in our state so its very important that we get somebody that understands team, understands the future of what we need to do to our military and just keep building it instead of tearing it down,” Tuberville told Alabama Daily News.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., has also said she will support Hegseth. She posted on X in December after meeting with him. In the post, the senator wrote that she “emphasized the imperative to base Space Command HQ on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, as well as the opportunities to further utilize Fort Novosel to benefit our men and women in uniform while creating efficiencies.” Britt’s office said she anticipates Trump’s picks to get in place “expeditiously.”
The veterans who spoke in favor of Hegseth’s nomination Monday plan to be in the Senate hearing room. They also plan to march in support of Hegseth around war memorials in Washington Tuesday.
Hegesth’s hearing is set to start at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.