Veterans Backing Pete Hegseth March in DC on Day of Senate Confirmation Hearing

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces marched in DC on Tuesday in support of Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to be the next secretary of defense. The march was held the same day as Hegseth’s Senate confirmation hearing, where he testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill. The hearing was held days before Trump takes office for his second term, after which he is expected to formally nominate Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense. Hegseth will then need a simple majority vote of the U.S. Senate to be confirmed to the position.

Demonstrators, numbering around 60, carried American flags, signs reading “Veterans For Pete Hegseth”, “Americans for Pete Hegseth”, and a banner reading “US Military Supports Pete Hegseth For Secretary Of Defense”. Some donned pro-Trump apparel, custom pro-Hegseth hoodies or baseball caps featuring a trident and bone frog with the text “For Hegseth” underneath.

Tuesday’s demonstration began at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, from which demonstrators marched in DC, making stops at the World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument, Union Square, and the U.S. Botanical Garden before ending at Providence Park a few blocks southeast of the Capitol Building.