Hegseth says he will be a “change agent” and a “warrior” as Republicans demand new and strong leadership at the Pentagon.

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, underwent his Senate confirmation hearings on Tuesday, where senators scrutinized his fitness for the role due to his past as a combat veteran and TV host.

The 10-nation bloc, known as ASEAN, has been useful for the United States in countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. Many member nations have territorial disputes with China, which has become increasingly assertive in pressing those claims.

Pete Hegseth vowed to foster a "warrior culture" at the Pentagon and be a "change agent." He did not address the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking, focusing instead on his combat experience.

Hegseth responded at the heated Senate confirmation hearing that he couldn’t tell Duckworth the exact number of ASEAN nations, but that “I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan in AUKUS (a pact between Australia,