Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s beleaguered pick to head the Defense Department, has walked back controversial comments on gays serving openly in the military.
While meeting with Senators on Capitol Hill last week, Hegseth said he approves of out gay and lesbian troops, changing a position that he once called the beginning of “Marxist” ideology.
“Yes,” Hegseth said outside Sen. Rand Paul’s office on Dec. 12 when asked if gay people should be allowed to serve in the military.
Hegseth’s reversal comes after a CNN report unearthed previous comments by the former Army National Guard officer that criticized policies such as ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and its subsequent repeal as “social engineering” that “erode standards.”
The repeal of DADT in 2011 freed gay and lesbian service members from an undercover existence. Hegseth wrote in his 2024 book War on Warriors that the policy and its repeal were “camouflage” to broader policies that undermined military cohesion and effectiveness.
Brandon Wolf, press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, said Hegseth’s comments show “immense disrespect.”
“Not only is he unqualified and unfit for this role, but those who have stepped up to serve their country deserve better than the failed, discriminatory policies of the past,” Wolf said, in a press release.
Hegseth has called the CNN report false. It remains unclear if Hegseth has the necessary Senate votes to be confirmed. Along with his views on gays in the military, Hegseth is under fire for alleged alcoholism, chauvinistic behavior and sexual assault.
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