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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y.is meeting with Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Monday evening to discuss controversial Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, just hours before it takes place.
A Senate Democratic source confirmed the last-minute meeting to Fox News Digital.
Schumer and other Democrats have made clear their opposition to the former Fox News anchor in the days leading up to the hearing, which is the first of all. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees.
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Schumer will meet with the Democratic committee hours before the hearing. (Reuters)
The meeting, first reported by axescomes after the New York Democrat urged his caucus colleague Trump insiders are singling out nominees for their upcoming hearings and forcing them to testify about controversial issues on Trump’s agenda, according to a Senate Democratic source.
The source added that Democrats plan to lay the groundwork to say they warned about Trump’s cabinet picks from the start.
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Hegseth was chosen to be Trump’s Secretary of Defense. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Speaking on the floor Monday, Schumer said: “Unfortunately, Mr. Hegseth’s background is deeply troubling, to put it generously. We’ve all read the reports about his radical views, his alleged heavy drinking , allegations of sexual assault and their failures in the financial management of multiple organizations.”
Hegseth has denied all allegations, including those suggesting financial mismanagement, sexual assault and alcohol use.
A spokesman for the Secretary of Defense nominee did not immediately comment to Fox News Digital.
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Schumer has criticized Hegseth for several allegations. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Democrats on SASC include ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Tim Kaine , D-Va., Angus King, I-Maine, Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.
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Senator Jack Reed and Senator Debbie Fischer during a Senate hearing. (Reuters)
Reed and Hegseth met last week for a remarkably brief discussion. Afterwards, SASC’s ranking member said in a statement: “Today’s meeting did not alleviate my concerns about Mr Hegseth’s lack of qualifications and raised more questions than answers.”
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“As with any nominee for this critical position, Mr. Hegseth must undergo the same high level of scrutiny as previous nominees for Secretary of Defense,” he added.
