What To Watch As Pete Hegseth Faces Questions About His Experience And Personal Past

Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth will publicly face senators for the first time Tuesday after weeks of privately pushing back on criticism over his qualifications and personal past.

Hegseth, a 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News Channel weekend host, has faced strong criticism from Democrats over his thin resume compared to previous defense secretaries, along with allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and mismanagement of veterans organization finances - all of which he denies.

Many Republicans have been vocally supportive of Hegseth's nomination, but others have remained noncommittal as the reports surfaced about his past behavior.

President-elect Donald Trump has remained strongly supportive of Hegseth, who has worked to win favor with Senate Republicans in one-on-one meetings over the last month.

Trump posted on social media in December that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!"