The 2017 Monterey, Calif., sexual assault allegation, which surfaced shortly after Trump nominated him for the Pentagon post, has come up repeatedly.
According to the police report, the unnamed woman said Hegseth took her phone and locked the door as she tried to leave his hotel room before sexually assaulting her.
Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer admitted Hegseth paid an undisclosed sum to keep quiet about the incident.
On Tuesday, Hegseth went largely on the offensive, denouncing a “coordinated smear campaign” by the left-wing media. “They want to destroy me.”
But at other times during the hearing, Hegseth responded to questions about his behavior with impassioned references to his Christian faith.
“I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real,” he said.
