Kinzinger: Hegseth hearings will be 'pretty brutal'

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said that the hearings to appoint former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of Defense would be “pretty brutal,” considering the nominee's sexual assault allegations.

“The military's had an issue with sexual assault that they've been trying to address for a number of years, and now you're putting the guy that's potentially guilty of that in charge of the Pentagon,” he said on a Thursday night CNN appearance. "The hearings are going to be pretty brutal for him, and you know, we'll see what comes out of that.

The former “Fox and Friends” host was accused of sexual assault in 2017, an allegation that he strongly denied.

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Kinzinger added that it is possible more information about the allegations comes to light during the confirmation hearings, but, given Trump’s hold on the GOP, odds could be in Hegseth's favor.

“The vast majority of Republicans will do whatever Donald Trump wants, and he wants [secretary of Defense] to be Pete Hegseth,” he said. “I think there's going to be some senators that actually look at this very critically. I would say it's about 50/50 chance he gets approved right now.”

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) decision to withdraw from consideration to become attorney general on Thursday has shifted some attention to President-elect Trump’s Hegseth’s nomination.

Kinzinger has become a prominent Trump critic in the Republican Party. He endorsed Vice President Harris in the presidential election.