Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King on Tuesday repeatedly questioned President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense about critical statements he's made about laws governing the conduct of the American military.
In his 2024 book "The War on Warriors," DOD nominee Pete Hegseth argued that America's adherence to the international law known as the Geneva Conventions is exploited by its enemies, endangering its service members and prolonging conflicts.
The combat veteran and FOX News personality also mused about abandoning those guidelines when fighting Al Qaeda militants and telling them "we will rip your arms off and feed them to hogs" if they don't surrender.
King homed in on those views during his chance to question Hegseth during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"Are we going to abide by the Geneva Conventions and the prohibitions on torture, or are we not? Or is it going to depend on circumstances?" King asked.
Hegseth replied, "I've stated multiple times, the Geneva Conventions are what we base our — but what an America first national security policy is not going to do, is hand its prerogatives over to international bodies that make decisions about how our men and women make decisions on the battlefield."
King's questions were part of a broad critique of Hegseth led by Senate Democrats, who repeatedly asserted that he's unqualified to oversee the American military and the DOD bureaucracy because of his lack of experience and allegations about drinking and sexual assault.
Trump and his allies have doubled down on their support of Hegseth and have launched a pressure campaign to make sure the Republican controlled Senate still confirms him.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins has met with Hegseth, but has not said whether she'll vote for him.
