Hegseth 'doing a great job': top Republican Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., tells reporters Pete Hegseth 'will be confirmed.'

Awkward exchanges about the defense secretary hopeful’s past were plentiful as Democrats went after the first embattled Trump pick to face a confirmation hearing.

The nominee for Secretary of Defense wore his patriotism on his sleeve during his confirmation hearing — and his belt, his socks, and his pocket square.

Hegseth was cool in the face of this unhinged questioning. They made him look good today,” said Scott Jennings on CNN.

Democrats repeatedly called Pete Hegseth unfit to be secretary of defense, but Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee expressed nothing but support for his candidacy at a confirmation hearing.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. speaks at the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be Defense secretary, at the Capitol in Washington,

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday expressed strong support for Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, praising the combat veteran’s cautious approach to military intervention.

Democrats say Hegseth’s lack of experience, comments about women and Black troops, and allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct make him unfit to serve. Some takeaways from the hearing:

JACK SMITH’S MIDNIGHT RIDE — Six days before President-elect DONALD TRUMP is due to be sworn as the victor of the 2024 election, special counsel JACK SMITH’s report into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election is finally here.

President-elect Donald Trump chose Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense because he’s a combat veteran and change agent who isn’t afraid to take on the vital job of rebuilding the U.S. military from woke to lethal. He is the right person for the job, and I fully support him as our next secretary of defense.

Americans didn’t learn much about Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth at his Senate confirmation hearing, but they did learn more about the world’s greatest nondeliberative body. Democrats mostly played into Hegseth’s hands with questions he easily parried, while Republicans asked little of substance.

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