• Sen. Mazie Hirono aggressively questioned Pete Hegseth regarding past drinking allegations at his confirmation hearing.
• Hegseth denied accusations but avoided committing to resign if he drinks while serving as Secretary of Defense.
• Democratic senators expressed concern over the thoroughness of the FBI background check involving Hegseth.
• Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee drew attention to testimonies from former Fox News colleagues.
• Hegseth labeled the allegations as false, attempting to discredit the media reports.

The confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense has sparked critique, especially from Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who cornered him about past allegations of heavy drinking while on duty. This scrutiny follows reports from various sources including The Daily Beast and The Hill, which disclosed statements from former Fox News employees asserting that Hegseth had consumed alcohol during work events.

During the hearing, Hirono pointedly asked if Hegseth would resign if he drinks on the job, emphasizing the importance of maintaining good order and discipline under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Hegseth deflected the question, instead stating, “I have made this commitment on behalf of the men and women I am serving,” referring to his assurance of abstaining from alcohol if confirmed.

Despite insistence on his commitment, Hegseth's failure to directly answer whether he would resign raised alarms among the committee members. He asserted that claims against him were unfounded, labeling them “multiple false anonymous reports peddled by NBC News.” Yet Hirono pressed on, reiterating her concerns about his capacity to serve responsibly while denying the previous allegations of misconduct, which included excessive drinking in both his role as a veteran's advocate and as a host at Fox News.

These discussions come against the backdrop of worries regarding the adequacy of the FBI’s background investigation, as it notably did not include crucial interviews with key individuals who could have testified regarding Hegseth’s conduct at Fox News, a fact highlighted by various Senate committee members (source).

With multiple reports surfacing about his character and credibility, the path forward for Hegseth’s nomination remains uncertain as his hearing concludes.

(For further details, refer to the full coverage by The Daily Beast, The New Yorker, and NBC News.)