01/14/2025 --axios
The Trump transition proved today that it can impose its will on the Hill, even with a nomination that looked cooked before the holidays.Why it matters: Not a single Republican showed signs on Tuesday of opposing Defense nominee Pete Hegseth. Now he's got a clear path to the Pentagon."Pete Hegseth hit a home run," Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said on Fox News after the hearing.Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters Tuesday that Hegseth did well and expects he'll be quickly confirmed.Here's the formula:Survive the first two weeks: Trump's team got past the news cycles about Senate Republicans being quietly concerned about Hegseth's nomination. They've told us for a month that if he can get to his nomination hearing, he'll be fine.Sic MAGA foot soldiers on anyone suspected of falling out of line. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) was noticeably friendly at today's hearing. Ernst told local radio on Wednesday that she'll vote to confirm Hegseth.Stonewall the Dems: Only the committee's top Democrat — Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) — was allowed to see Hegseth's background check. Democrats were denied second rounds of questioning today. Hegseth didn't meet with any of the rank-and-file Dems ahead of today's hearing.Take advantage of the media's shattered glass: Today's most TV-ready moments from Senate Dems — Tim Kaine's hypotheticals on Hegseth's red lines and his behavior ... Kirsten Gillibrand's condemnation of his comments on women in the military ... Mazie Hirono's questions on his drinking — are unlikely to reach MAGA viewers.Zoom in: If you look past the spicy back-and-forth on Hegseth's character, there was a strong line of questions about whether he can do the job.The most prominent: Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) tried to pin down Hegseth on whether he's ever led a major negotiation. She asked if he's familiar with high-level pacts like ASEAN.The Republicans on the panel were very clear that this isn't a dealbreaker. They even suggested that his lack of traditional experience running bureaucracies would benefit someone trying to clean house at the Pentagon.They backed him as he suggested he'd purge top brass and cut hundreds or thousands of civilian support staff in the Pentagon."The Dems struggled to land a blow or a gotcha moment," Banks told Axios after the hearing."With today's performance, I believe Pete Hegseth's path to confirmation has been assured," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Axios.Go deeper:Five questions Hegseth dodgedHegseth claims "smear campaign"Hegseth says he was blocked from working Biden inauguration over tattoo