Following weeks of relentless slanders, smears, and attempted character assassinations from Democrats and corporate media entities, Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the 29th Secretary of Defense, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. Under immense pressure, he delivered a masterful performance in which he convincingly sold himself as an America First stalwart capable of bringing much-needed and long-overdue reform to the Pentagon.

“The Defense Department under Donald Trump will achieve peace through strength. And in pursuing these America First national security goals, we will remain patriotically apolitical and stridently constitutional,” Hegseth said in his opening statement. “Unlike the current administration, politics should play no part in military matters. We are not Republicans or Democrats—we are American warriors.”

Hegseth stressed that under his direction, leaders “at all levels” at the Department of Defense (DOD) will be held accountable. “And warfighting and lethality—and the readiness of the troops and their families—will be our only focus,” he continued.

In response to accusations from Democrats and the left-wing media apparatus that Hegseth lacks the credentials and qualifications customarily held by Secretaries of Defense, Hegseth echoed Trump’s calls for a “change agent” at the Department of Defense.

“It is true that I don’t have a similar biography to Defense Secretaries of the last 30 years,” Hegseth said. “But, as President Trump also told me, we’ve repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly ‘the right credentials’—whether they are retired generals, academics, or defense contractor executives—and where has it gotten us? He believes, and I humbly agree, that it’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm.”

Hegseth outlined what his three priorities would be if he ultimately ascended to the top post at the Pentagon: a restoration of the “warrior ethos,” rebuilding the military and our defense industrial base, and re-establishing the principle of deterrence in our foreign and military policy.

“The President has given me a clear vision, and I will execute. I’ve sworn an oath to the Constitution before, and—if confirmed—will proudly do it again. This time, for the most important deployment of my life,” he concluded.

Predictably, Hegseth faced a firestorm of defamatory questioning from Democrats on the Armed Service Committee, who resurfaced debunked allegations against him and devolved into nasty personal attacks designed to distract from Hegseth’s qualifications for the job.

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), for instance, flew into a tizzy of moral outrage regarding Hegseth’s alleged conduct during his previous marriages and relationships—going so far as to use Hegseth’s seven-year-old daughter as a political prop.

Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) launched a series of “gotcha” questions against Hegseth, taking aim at his supposed lack of qualifications.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand went on a tirade about Hegseth’s previous comments on women in combat roles, castigating Hegseth as “mean.”

Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) vigorously questioned Hegseth about his drinking habits, absurdly implying that Hegseth would drink “on the job”—a favorite Democrat tactic going back to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings in 2018.

In a now-viral moment during Hegseth’s questioning, Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) blasted Senate Democrats for their rampant hypocrisy. “How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night? Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from their job?” He continued: “How many senators do you know have gotten a divorce for cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down?”

Mullin continued: “It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourselves to this higher standard, and you forget you’ve got a big plank in your eye.”

Republican senators on the committee, on the other hand, only asked questions of Hegseth that concerned issues concerning the military itself—including the mounting recruiting crisis, infrastructure problems, the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, and wokeism in the military—further calling attention to the left’s utter lack of concern for U.S. military preparedness, strength on the world stage, and our national security needs.

Hegseth sharply and collectedly outlined plans to usher in a surge in military recruiting, reinvigorate the American shipbuilding industry, and purge the so-called “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” ideology from the halls of the DOD.

Despite Democrats’ attempts to shatter his character and his credibility, Hegseth’s performance and commitment to reforming the Pentagon—and his qualifications for serving as America’s chief military official—were indisputable.

With the Biden-Harris era now almost fully in the rearview mirror, the importance of a strong and mission-oriented U.S. military has never been more apparent. As this week’s hearings demonstrated, a military focused on lethality rather than imposing a left-wing agenda is essential to safeguarding our homeland, maintaining global stability, and restoring American leadership on the world stage.

To secure these priorities, every American who cares about our national security should hope that Hegseth is confirmed without delay.

Aaron Flanigan is a contributor to AMAC Newsline.