“Pete Hegseth prioritizes bigotry and misogyny over strengthening our national security” Hirono escalates Pentagon fight

Sen. Mazie Hirono on Sunday accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of putting “bigotry and misogyny” ahead of military readiness, escalating a growing political fight over the Pentagon’s review of women serving in ground combat roles. In a post on X, the Hawaii Democrat wrote that “for over 10 years, every branch of the military has agreed: If you meet the standards, you can serve,” before asking why the administration “suddenly” has a problem with women in combat.

The exchange lands in the middle of a broader debate that has been building for months under Hegseth, who ordered a department-wide review of military standards last year and later pushed for tougher, sex-neutral combat requirements. In a September speech to top military leaders, Hegseth said jobs requiring physical power in combat should meet “high and gender-neutral” standards and added that if no women qualify for some roles under those standards, “so be it.”

The latest flashpoint is a separate Pentagon review of the “effectiveness” of women in ground combat jobs, first reported in January. According to NPR, the review calls on the Army and Marine Corps to provide data on readiness, training, performance, casualties and command climate, more than a decade after the military opened all combat jobs to women.

Hirono and other critics say that review is less about readiness than about reopening a settled issue. During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in February, Hirono said the move was “an attack on women” and argued it appeared designed to lay the groundwork for reversing the policy that allows women to serve in combat arms positions. She has also said she plans legislation to codify the Pentagon’s current policy allowing women in those roles so long as they meet required standards.

Military leaders who testified before Congress did not back the idea that women in combat roles have weakened standards or readiness. Under questioning from Hirono, top enlisted leaders from the services said they had seen no evidence that women in combat units caused standards to fall or effectiveness to erode. Hirono’s office later said each witness answered “no” when asked whether women in combat units lower standards.

That testimony has become central to Democrats’ pushback against Hegseth’s approach. Hirono argues the military already has the rule that matters: anyone who meets the standard can serve. That principle traces back to the Pentagon’s 2015 decision under Defense Secretary Ash Carter to open all military occupations and positions to women without exception, provided they qualified and met the required standards.

Supporters of Hegseth’s review, however, say the administration is focused on readiness, not exclusion. Pentagon officials have framed the effort as a way to ensure combat roles are governed by uniform, sex-neutral requirements tied to battlefield demands. NPR reported that the review is being conducted through an independent assessment of how women have integrated into infantry, armor and artillery roles and how those units have performed.

The political fight has sharpened as the Pentagon’s handling of women’s service has drawn wider attention. Hirono recently linked the issue to broader concerns about readiness and military leadership, saying the administration’s review is offensive and unsupported by the evidence presented so far. With Hegseth continuing to emphasize tougher standards and Hirono pressing to lock current policy into law, the clash is likely to remain part of a larger argument over culture, combat readiness and who gets to serve on the front lines.