FEB 6, 2025 | OPINION | By Stecy Mwachia
There is no better example of how Donald Trump has eroded our social expectations of government officials than the confirmation of United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. It’s difficult to keep up with what’s happening in the news cycle right now, with so many grand and unprecedented actions taken by the new yet tragically familiar administration at such a rapid pace.
This story shouldn’t get buried and drowned out by the noise, as this development has deep sociocultural implications for the wider political landscape but specifically women. Hegseth’s confirmation could have devastating ramifications on the culture of the military and the way women are represented within it. It will ultimately impact the lives of people of color and other minority groups.
I want to take a moment to highlight the absolute inconsistency between the Trump administration’s actions and its rhetoric and to pose one essential question to the audience:
Do accusations of assault, sexism and mistreatment of women actually damage the careers of men to the extent that it is depicted in popular culture?
While Trump has assembled quite an interesting arrangement of characters within his Cabinet, and his nominations have been nothing short of strange, Pete Hegseth is truly unique in his journey to the national stage. His past is littered with the most embarrassing and immoral actions that could be taken by someone with political aspirations, and yet through his ties to President Donald Trump, he earned enough support from Congress to be confirmed.
Hegseth has officially been sworn in as the United States Secretary of Defense following his nomination. He will be following his stint as a talk show host on Fox News with leading the U.S. government’s largest US government agency with the largest discretionary budget. Hegseth being sworn into this position marks a dangerous impasse for American politics and highlights a glaring irony of the Trump administration’s policy agenda: “Having the Best Standards” for its employees.
Hegthseth’s confirmation was unprecedented, with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote to confirm him, which is only the second time this has occurred in this century. The first time also was tied to Trump’s administration, when Mike Pence cast the deciding vote to confirm Betsy DeVos in 2017.
Questions swirled around Hegseth, his past sexual assault allegations, his alleged abuse of his second wife, and infidelity within all three of his past marriages. He began dating his current wife, Fox producer Jenifer Rauchet, while still married to his second wife, even getting her pregnant before the marriage ended. He engaged in five affairs while married to his first wife — and high school sweetheart — Meredith Schwarz, even paying for hotel rooms using her credit card. During an FBI background check that is routinely conducted as a part of the nomination process, former sister-in-law of Hegseth, Danielle Hegseth, wrote in an affidavit that the abuse of his second wife, Samantha Hegseth was so severe she feared for her life. At one point, she reportedly locked herself in a closet to get away from him. Samantha and Danielle had a panic system, where Samantha could text her a safe word at any time if she ever needed help. Danielle also reported episodes of alcohol abuse by the now-Secretary of Defense, describing him routinely drinking to excess at family functions, often passing out.
She is far from the first to disclose details of his alcohol abuse to the Senate Committee on Armed Services or the public. NBC talked to 10 former and current Fox News employees who expressed concerns about his alcohol intake as a news anchor. Two even reported smelling alcohol on him on multiple occasions before he went on air. One described him as “getting wasted” on multiple occasions, and others described feeling the need to “babysit him” when on work outings and on mornings after Hegseth had engaged in heavy partying. In December, the New Yorker reported on concerns shared by members of a nonprofit organization Hegseth was president of, ironically called “The Concerned Veterans of America.” A whistle-blower wrote that he was “being repeatedly intoxicated while acting in his official capacity to the point of needing to be carried out of the organization’s events,” according to the New Yorker.
During his January 14th confirmation hearing, he promised to quit drinking if confirmed to the National Defense position. How very comforting. While the Secretary of Defense does not admit to having a problem with alcohol or having an alcohol abuse disorder, he says he would be willing to stop if confirmed to the position. When he was pressed further by a Senator asking if he would resign if he drank after his confirmation, he did not respond in the affirmative.
This is not where Hegseth’s mistreatment of women ends, however, with Hegseth reportedly paying a $50,000 settlement to a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017. While Hegseth never faced charges for the alleged crime, he reached a settlement agreement that included a confidentiality clause for the accuser. Hegseth claims this was done to preserve his career as a Fox News anchor. While he was grilled on this subject by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Senate committee ultimately decided it would not be a disqualifying factor in his confirmation.
In Nov., the New York Times published a scathing article detailing an email sent to Hegseth by his mother. In that email, Penelope Hegseth was documented saying “On behalf of all the women (and I know it’s many) you have abused in some way, I say … get some help and take an honest look at yourself,” She then goes on to say, “I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth.”
If his own family is bringing these types of concerns to the committee to be considered and don’t think he would be an appropriate person for this role, how can any member of the committee be confident in his ability? It’s quite clear that without his personal connection to Donald Trump, Hegseth would have never gotten close to this position. How important is a personal reputation for a candidate of a high-ranking government position? What kind of person does Pete Hegseth inspire?
His own mother called him an abuser of women who builds his ego through the process of damaging women mentally and emotionally. This ties in with his views on women in the military, with Pete Hegseth publicly expressing disapproval of the concept of women in active combat positions. He claimed repeatedly that the inclusion of women in active combat roles has caused a lowering in standards for the entire military. During his Senate confirmation hearing, he said, “I respect every single female service member that has put on the uniform, past and present. My critiques, Senator, recently and in the past, and from personal experience, have been instances where I’ve seen standards lowered.” His comments are in line with the anti-DEI concepts peddled by President Donald Trump.
Hegseth continuously exemplifies some of the most dangerous aspects of Donald Trump’s rhetoric, including his attacks on DEI programs. This ideology exposes a glaring obvious truth about the meritocracy in America. Layered within his comments about standards and quotas lies a very thinly veiled belief in sexist and racist ideals. These comments are all based on the foundation that people of color and women could never be as competent or qualified as straight white men in these positions. Therefore, for them to have made it to the positions they have achieved, the standards of entry must have been lowered to facilitate their inclusion. Multiple news sources repeatedly fact-checked these comments, confirming that the US military does not use a quota system in any of its departments.
What’s worse is that Pete Hegseth could very easily reverse some of the most recently achieved progress for women in the military. The Navy removed its clause banning women in submarines in 2010, and in 2013, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the end of the ground direct combat exclusion rule for women. Only in 2016 was it finally possible for women to access every available position in the military with no gender-based barriers. Sexual assault and harassment is still a large problem within the military with 6.8% of that 21% experiencing it within their service as of 2023 according to the Department of Defense.
Who we give our power to as the American public is one of our greatest collective strengths as a nation. Once again, Trump’s administration has circumnavigated public opinion and used partisanship to push a dangerous and unqualified individual into a seat of immense power.
Pete Hegseth is an example of failing upwards. He is a testament to the power of connections and perfect immersion in a corrupt political framework. His existence as the Secretary of Defense highlights the shadows of the many amazing women and people of color with picture-perfect reputations and spotless resumes who could have gotten that position but either wouldn’t be willing to bend to the needs of the administration above them or would never be considered because of their identities. As you analyze Pete Hegseth’s rise to power, question everything you’ve been told about meritocracy and ask yourself if that system is working in America today. Is there really an emphasized priority on hiring the best and the brightest within these positions, or is there actually a need to promote those who serve a purpose in a grander political agenda?