Pete Hegseth, in Senate confirmation hearing, blames Oct. 7 on US withdrawal from Afghanistan

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, said in his Senate confirmation hearing that the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel were the direct result of President Biden’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Elsewhere in his contentious hearing, he said he supported Israel “destroying and killing every last member of Hamas,” and defended a tattoo of his that is closely associated with Christian nationalism.

Hegseth, a Fox News host, also blamed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the Afghanistan withdrawal. There is no evidence linking either world event to Afghanistan or the Taliban, which now governs the country. But he said the withdrawal, which was widely criticized, was a public failure of American leadership.

“What was unleashed because of what happened in Afghanistan? The Oct. 7 attacks, an invasion into Ukraine,” he said in response to questioning from GOP Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana, who’d asked about Afghanistan but not about Israel or Ukraine. Hegseth continued, “The world recognized weakness for what it was.”

It was the first high-profile hearing for a cabinet post as Trump enters his second term, and was closely watched given Hegseth’s limited military leadership experience, the litany of sexual misconduct allegations against him and his reputed alcoholism, as well as his documented opposition to women serving combat roles in the military (views he has since walked back; he has also denied reports of his alcoholism and vowed not to drink on the job).

As defense secretary, Hegseth would likely play a prominent role in U.S. support of Israel, including backing for its war against Hamas in Gaza, if it is not resolved before his swearing-in. Biden’s defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, has made several trips to the region. American troops have also been involved in some operations related to the war, including constructing a temporary aid pier in Gaza and operating a missile defense system there.

Hegseth’s hearing was disrupted by several protesters, some of whom spouted anti-Zionist rhetoric and criticized American support for the Israeli military. During his questions, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican, gave Hegseth an opportunity to respond.

“I think the first one accused you of being a Christian Zionist. I’m not really sure why that is a bad thing,” Cotton told Hegseth of one protester before asking, “Do you consider yourself a Christian Zionist?” Hegseth responded, “I’m a Christian and I robustly support the state of Israel and its existential defense.”

A follow-up from Cotton asked if Hegseth supported Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, which may be on the verge of a ceasefire after 15 months of fighting. In response, Hegseth offered, “I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas.”

Some Republicans were initially skeptical of Trump’s decision to nominate the Fox News host for the important post, in part due to the sexual misconduct accusations and other allegations against him. But the party appeared to be coalescing behind him over the course of the four-hour-plus hearing, with no major Republican defectors announcing themselves. A vote on his confirmation is expected Monday, shortly after Trump’s inauguration that same day.

At a few points in the hearing, discussion turned to one of Hegseth’s many tattoos: a Jerusalem cross of the kind commonly used during the Crusades. During questioning, Hegseth claimed he had “volunteered to guard the inauguration of Joe Biden but was denied the opportunity to serve because I was identified as an extremist by my own unit for a Christian tattoo.” He later clarified that he was referring to his chest tattoo of the Jerusalem cross.

The cross is one of multiple Crusades-inspired tattoos on Hegseth, who also has a Hebrew variant of Jesus’ name; experts on religious extremism have said they believe the tattoos to be a sign that the nominee is aligned with Christian nationalism, a movement which seeks to apply Christian law to the United States.

Hegseth, though, dismissed the idea that the tattoo in question was extremist.

“It’s called the Jerusalem cross. It’s a historic Christian symbol,” he said when asked about it by Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. Hegseth went on to claim that the symbol had also appeared on the funeral program of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, which was held at the Washington National Cathedral.

The answer seemed to satisfy Cramer, who used his follow-up to attack the critics of Hegseth’s tattoo.

“You, Mr. Hegseth, are not an extremist,” the senator said. “The people who would deny you your expression of faith are the extremists. They’re the racists. They’re the bigots. You’re the one who is protecting their right to be one.”