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Hegseth meets with first Senate Armed Services Dem ahead of confirmation hearing

The meeting is Hegseth's first with a Democratic member of the committee that will handle his confirmation process.

By Connor O’Brien and Joe Gould

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Defense secretary, will meet Wednesday afternoon with Senate Armed Services top Democrat Jack Reed, a committee spokesperson said.

The meeting is Hegseth's first with a Democratic member of the committee that will handle his confirmation process. It comes less than a week before the Army veteran and former Fox News host is slated to testify at a confirmation hearing. A Hegseth spokesperson confirmed the meeting. The people were granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations.

Other meetings: One Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, has already met with Hegseth, although he doesn't sit on the Armed Services Committee. It's unclear how many more committee Democrats Hegseth will meet with in the short window before his hearing.

What to expect: Democrats will likely have tough questions for Hegseth in private and at his Jan. 14 confirmation hearing. His nomination has been dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct and controversial stances, such as questioning women in combat roles.

When the assault allegations against Hegseth surfaced in November, Reed (D-R.I.) said he was troubled. “I haven’t read the [police] report, but what I’ve seen in news reports is very concerning,” he told reporters. “It has to be looked at and I think this emphasizes or puts more need for a thorough investigation by the FBI on the background of all the nominees. It’s something we have to pursue and we will in the [confirmation] hearing.”

Republican role: But his confirmation ultimately will be decided by Republicans, who control the Senate agenda with a 53-vote majority. Hegseth has spent recent weeks on Capitol Hill meeting with GOP senators on and off the Armed Services Committee to shore up his support.

While Republicans only have a one-vote majority on the Armed Services Committee, Hegseth can afford up to three defections on the Senate floor and still be confirmed without any Democratic votes.