The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Archive: Anna Bower on the Confirmation Hearing of Pete Hegseth
Jan 24, 2026
Anna Bower, Lawfare senior editor and congressional reporter covering national security, walks through the Pete Hegseth confirmation hearing with on-the-ground detail. She describes hearing logistics, protest dynamics, Hegseth’s opening themes of lethality and America First, partisan questioning strategies, and concerns about the FBI background report. Short, vivid scenes of Senate theater and procedure.
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Protester Removed Over Gaza Claims
- A Vietnam veteran protester shouted about Hegseth being a "Christian Zionist" and was removed from the hearing.
- Anna Bower observed the protest suggested planned demonstrations about the Gaza conflict.
Unqualified By Design
- Pete Hegseth framed being "proudly unqualified" as a virtue and emphasized fighting "wokeness" to restore military lethality.
- Benjamin Wittes and Anna Bower note this reshapes qualifications toward cultural alignment over traditional experience.
Hearing Ran On Confirmation Assumption
- Republicans largely treated Hegseth as an effective communicator and acceptable nominee despite unconventional qualifications.
- The hearing proceeded on the assumption of likely confirmation absent new disclosures.