Trump’s embattled defense nominee sparks clear contrast in potential Shaheen/Brown Senate matchup

The embattled nomination of Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host, as Secretary of Defense by President Donald Trump, has divided the top candidates for New Hampshire’s 2026 senate race even while new and troubling information about the nominee’s reported abuse of his ex-wives and excessive drinking has cast further doubt an already troubled nomination fight.

Shaheen, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took the historic step of opposing Hegseth’s nomination this week, noting she had voted for nominees for secretary of defense from both parties in the past, but that concerns over his fitness for the role were too grave to overlook.

“I voted against proceeding with the nomination of Mr. Hegseth out of committee because he did not alleviate my concerns about his lack of experience and qualifications during his confirmation hearing,” Shaheen said in a statement after opposing his nomination.

Hegseth has no experience at the Pentagon, no experience running a large organization, on and has no experience managing a large budget within an organization, having only run two small non-profit groups with staff numbering under 100 each. The Department of Defense employs over 2.4 million individuals and has a budget of over $840 billion.

On the floor of the Senate, Shaheen outlined a long series of objections to Hegseth’s candidacy, citing his lack of transparency, inconsistent foreign policy views, and disregard for international laws and norms.

Shaheen also pointed out that Hegseth broke with longstanding tradition by failing to meet with Senate Democrats, except for the committee’s ranking member, prior to his confirmation hearing. This, she argued, signaled a willingness to undermine the bipartisan cooperation essential for national security matters.

“We are stronger as senators, as Congress, as a nation, if we are acting together,” Shaheen said, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a nonpartisan approach to defense issues.

Strikingly, Shaheen’s objections did not even touch upon any of the numerous misconduct allegations made against Hegseth since his nomination began, which include a recent affidavit from his former sister-in-law that Hegseth’s violent behavior caused his second wife to fear for her safety, requiring her to use a code word to communicate she needed assistance getting away from Hegseth.

In light of all this, Hegseth has garnered the support of one prominent local Republican – Massachusetts politician Scott Brown, who has worked to position himself as the top Republican contender for Shaheen’s senate seat in 2026 and a fellow Fox News alum who has publicly defended Hegseth across New England media for weeks.

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“He’s been doing everything right,” Brown said of Hegseth in an interview with Good Morning New Hampshire.

Brown said he didn’t believe Hegseth’s lack of qualification would be an issue in the role of Secretary of Defense because he would simply delegate his responsibilities to others.

“You think that he’s actually going to be doing the minutiae of the everyday Secretary of Defense stuff? No, he’s going to surround himself with really, really good people who can do that for him,” Brown said.

Brown doubled down in a social media post on Friday with a video message in support of Hegseth, saying President Trump, like every other president, “deserves the people around him that he knows and trusts, and that he feels will do his bidding.”

Brown has said in interviews that he and Hegseth are close, and that they speak often. They share a background in the military, with both serving in the National Guard and both having worked as talking heads employed by Fox News.

They also share similar controversies.

Brown faced allegations of sexual misconduct in 2016, when he was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by a Fox News host, and again in 2017 while serving as an ambassador during Trump’s first term.

It was revealed this week Hegseth gave $50,000 as part of a legal settlement with a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, and would routinely pass out from alcohol abuse, adding to the nominee’s growing public history of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct.

With the recent revelation that Maine Senator Republican Susan Collins would be voting against Hegseth’s nomination, Brown’s support puts him out of touch even among New England Republicans.