Michigan's U.S. senators voted in committee against Trump's picks to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, and White House budget office, Russell Vought.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut cast doubt Tuesday on nominee Pete Hegseth’s ability to run the Department of Defense, pointing to claims of financial mismanagement when President-elect Donald Trump’s pick ran a pair of veterans’ groups.

Pete Hegseth and other appointees of President-elect Donald Trump headed to the Senate this week for hearings. In particular Hegseth – tapped by Trump to lead the Department of Defense – faced scrutiny.

Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick to run the Pentagon, saw little resistance from Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement. “The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”

What effect do you think that will have on the military and the country? Gene: David, you know how impenetrable Pentagon culture is. Changing it is like, well, turning around an aircraft carrier. To the extent that the military is committed to diversity and inclusion,

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for defense secretary, faces a high-stakes Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that could determine whether his nomination moves forward.

Democrats have expressed concern over the delay and how thorough the report on Trump’s embattled defense secretary pick will be.

Trump began his second term with a series of executive actions. The 47th US president ordered a crackdown on immigration and withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement and World Health Organization.

The select subcommittee will be chaired by Representative Barry Loudermilk, who also leads the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight and last month released a 128-page “interim report” by House Republicans on the January 6 committee.

Amid Republican claims of “anonymous smears,” a named person — and a Hegseth, at that — accuses the defense secretary nominee of abusive behavior.