{"id":2390214,"date":"2025-01-14T14:11:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T19:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pete-hegseth-clarifies-stance-on-women-in-the-military\/"},"modified":"2025-01-14T14:12:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T19:12:51","slug":"pete-hegseth-clarifies-stance-on-women-in-the-military","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pete-hegseth-clarifies-stance-on-women-in-the-military\/","title":{"rendered":"Pete Hegseth clarifies stance on women in the military"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpete-hegseth-clarifies-stance-on-women-in-the-military%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2390214&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>During a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">contentious confirmation hearing<\/a>, Pete \u200dHegseth, president-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s \u200dnominee to\u2064 lead the Defense Department, addressed his previous opposition to women serving in combat roles. He assented to\u200d the inclusion of women in ground\u2064 combat positions, stipulating that high standards\u200d must be\u200b maintained for all service members.Hegseth, a veteran and former Fox News\u2063 host, \u2063faced sharp questioning from the Senate Armed Services Committee,\u2063 particularly from Senator Kirsten gillibrand, who challenged his past remarks as insensitive. Gillibrand urged Hegseth to reconsider his views on\u2063 women&#8217;s contributions to the military, pointing out that many \u200cwomen already serve effectively in combat roles. \u2064The hearing highlighted the ongoing debate about the role of women \u200bin the armed\u2063 forces, a topic \u200dHegseth has \u200bpreviously criticized in relation to diversity and inclusion efforts.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Hegseth clarifies stance on women in military in combative confirmation hearing<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Pete Hegseth\">Pete Hegseth<\/a>, President-elect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a>&lsquo;s nominee to lead the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pentagon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Pete Hegseth\">Defense Department<\/a>, backed off his past opposition to women serving in combat roles in the military but insisted Tuesday that he would keep standards high for all service members in a combative confirmation hearing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Hegseth, a veteran and former Fox News host, pushed back on allegations that he disparaged women serving in the military under tough questioning from women on the Senate Armed Services Committee.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My critiques, senator, recently and in the past and from personal experience, have been instances where I&rsquo;ve seen standards lowered,&rdquo; Hegseth said. <\/p>\n<p>The role of women, who account for nearly 18% of the armed forces, in the military was a prominent theme throughout the hearing as Hegseth had previously said that women <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3235874\/austin-takes-veiled-swipe-hegseth-military-women-make-us-stronger\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">should not be allowed<\/a> in combat and has argued against diversity and inclusion efforts. Hegseth has since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3257888\/susan-collins-absolutely-would-like-hear-hegseth-accuser\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">appeared to shift <\/a>his views.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Yes, women will have access to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/armys-controversial-fitness-test-might-become-official-this-year\/\" title=\"Army\u2019s Controversial Fitness Test Might Become Official This Year\">ground combat roles<\/a> given the standards remain high and we&rsquo;ll have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded,&rdquo; Hegseth told senators Tuesday. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kirsten-gillibrand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)\">Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)<\/a> pressed Hegseth to clarify his previous comments on women in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/combat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)\">combat <\/a>roles in a heated line of questioning in which she called his prior statements &ldquo;hurtful,&rdquo; &ldquo;terrible,&rdquo; and &ldquo;brutal.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You will have to change the way you see women to do this job well, and I don&rsquo;t know if you are capable of that,&rdquo; Gillibrand said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Gillibrand: We have hundreds, hundreds of women who are currently in the infantry, lethal members of our military, serving in the infantry. But you degrade them. You say, we need moms, but not in the military, especially in combat units. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ToUcV9doff\">pic.twitter.com\/ToUcV9doff<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Acyn (@Acyn) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Acyn\/status\/1879197787017113873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 14, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You cannot denigrate women in general, and your statements do that,&rdquo; Gillibrand said, raising her voice. &ldquo;&rsquo;We don&rsquo;t want women in the military, especially in combat&rsquo; &mdash; what a terrible statement.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>She stressed that the nominee to lead the Pentagon said in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3285801\/pete-hegseth-confirmation-hearing-senate-trump-defense-nominee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"opening statement\">opening statement<\/a> that he did not want to inject politics into the military but claimed that everything Hegseth said in prior statements was political.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You said in your statement &mdash; you don&rsquo;t want politics in the DOD, everything you&rsquo;ve said in these public statements is politics, &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t want women, I don&rsquo;t want moms,&rsquo;&rdquo; Gillibrand said. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s wrong with a mom by the way? Once you have babies, you&rsquo;re no longer able to be lethal? I mean, you&rsquo;re basically saying women, after they have children, basically can&rsquo;t ever serve in the military in a combat role. It&rsquo;s a silly thing to say.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The New York senator, a champion for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-pentagon-pick-pete-hegseth-will-get-confirmed-despite-allegations-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trump\u2019s Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth &#039;will get confirmed&#039; despite allegations - Washington Examiner\">preventing military sexual assault<\/a> who has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ernst.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/ernst-helps-lead-new-bipartisan-effort-to-prevent-military-sexual-assault-hold-perpetrators-accountable\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">sponsored bipartisan legislation<\/a> to hold perpetrators accountable, told Hegseth that his statements about women in combat roles are &ldquo;brutal, and they&rsquo;re mean, and they disrespect men and women who are willing to die for this country.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) speaks during the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s choice to be defense secretary, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington as Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) looks on. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Gillibrand pushed the nominee to give examples of how the standards were lowered, instead of making &ldquo;generalized statements.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Commanders need quotas to have a certain number of female infantry officers or infantry listed &mdash; that disparages those women,&rdquo; Hegseth said, before Gillibrand interrupted him.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Commanders do not have to have a quota for women in the infantry, that does not exist,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Your statements are creating the impressions that these exist, because they do not.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the hearing, Hegseth reiterated he now believes women &ldquo;make amazing contributions across all aspects of our battlefield.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In later questioning with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), a veteran, the nominee committed to conducting a gender-neutral review of the military.<\/p>\n<p>The New York senator also pressed Hegseth on prior comments that allowing gay people to serve in the military is &ldquo;social engineering.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As the president has stated, I don&rsquo;t disagree with the overturn of &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t Ask, Don&rsquo;t Tell,&rdquo; Hegseth said.<\/p>\n<p>The nominee previously said the policy was part of a &ldquo;Marxist&rdquo; agenda that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/military-vaccine-mandate-bidens-latest-pandemic-battle\/\" title=\"Military Vaccine Mandate Biden\u2019s Latest Pandemic Battle\">hurt military readiness<\/a> at the price of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elizabeth-warren-demands-federal-probe-into-oil-executives-salaries\/\" title=\"Elizabeth Warren Demands Federal Probe Into Oil Executives\u2019 Salaries\">prioritizing social justice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hegseth softens views on women in military during hearing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2390215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP25014594010417-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32547,39947,44930,48503],"class_list":["post-2390214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-gender-equality","tag-military-policy","tag-pete-hegseth","tag-women-in-the-military"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP25014594010417-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2390214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2390214"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2390214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2390218,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2390214\/revisions\/2390218"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2390215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2390214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2390214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2390214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}