Pete Hegseth is set to take the hot seat before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday in a hearing that is sure to break out into fireworks. 

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Hegseth to shake up the Pentagon as his defense secretary, but the former Fox News host has been entangled in controversies that Democrats on the committee can be expected to question him about. 

In his opening statement, Hegseth is expected to nod to his war-fighting experience and status as an outsider to the Pentagon establishment, telling committee members it's "time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm." 

He intends to "restore the warrior ethos to the Pentagon," provide "new defense companies" with a better shot at winning contracts, and rapidly deploy emerging technologies.

"It is true that I don't have a similar biography to Defense secretaries of the last 30 years," he is to say, according to a copy of the opening statement obtained by Axios in advance of the hearing. "But, as President Trump also told me, we've repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly 'the right credentials' — whether they are retired generals, academics or defense contractor executives — and where has it gotten us?"

"He believes, and I humbly agree, that it's time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm," Hegseth will say. "A change agent. Someone with no vested interest in certain companies or specific programs or approved narratives."

The nominee will say his "only special interest is — the warfighter."

"[W]e are American warriors," Hegseth is expected to say in his opening statement. "Our standards will be high, and they will be equal (not equitable, that is a very different word)." 

"We need to make sure every warrior is fully qualified on their assigned weapon system, every pilot is fully qualified and current on the aircraft they are flying, and every general or flag officer is selected for leadership based purely on performance, readiness and merit," Hegseth will continue, adding that he looks "forward to working with this committee — senators from both parties — to secure our nation."

Hegseth, who has been married three times, has admitted that he was a "serial cheater" before he became a Christian. He acknowledges his faith and current wife in his opening statement. 

"Thank you to my incredible wife Jennifer, who has changed my life and been with me throughout this entire process," his opening statement says. "I love you, sweetheart, and I thank God for you. And as Jenny and I pray together each morning, all glory — regardless of the outcome — belongs to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. His grace and mercy abound each day. May His will be done."

Hegseth also recognizes his "seven wonderful kids," adding: "Their future safety and security is in all our hands."

The confirmation process is expected to be contentious. 

"Democrats certainly aren’t going to make this a walk in the park by any means," one Republican aide said. 

"You'll see Democrats are pretty organized, they're thinking strategically to make sure everything is covered, and it's not a hearing that gets overly repetitive," one senior Democrat aide told Fox News Digital. 

HOW THE SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION PROCESS WORKS

"I don't think it's going to be particularly hostile, but I do think it will be very tough. It's going to focus a lot just on what we should expect of a nominee for this job and where he falls short," the aide went on. "There are questions about the things he's done, his character and his leadership." 

Hegseth will be the first of Trump’s controversial change agent picks to face questioning from lawmakers.

Republicans can be expected to play defense, framing Hegseth as a decorated combat veteran who will hold the military accountable after years of failed audits and DEI initiatives. 

In his opening statement, Hegseth is expected to outline his three top missions for the Pentagon: "Restore the warrior ethos;" "Rebuild our military;" and "Reestablish deterrence." 

"Restore the warrior ethos to the Pentagon and throughout our fighting force; in doing so, we will reestablish trust in our military — and address the recruiting, retention and readiness crisis in our ranks. The strength of our military is our unity — our shared purpose — not our differences," he'll tell the committee. "Rebuild our military, always matching threats to capabilities; this includes reviving our defense industrial base, reforming the acquisition process (no more 'Valley of Death' for new defense companies), modernizing our nuclear triad ... and rapidly fielding emerging technologies." 

Hegseth also aims to "Reestablish deterrence." "First and foremost, we will defend our homeland," he'll tell the committee. "Second, we will work with our partners and allies to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific from the communist Chinese. Finally, we will responsibly end wars to ensure we can prioritize our resources — and reorient to larger threats. We can no longer count on 'reputational deterrence' — we need real deterrence."

With little hope of winning any Democrat votes, Hegseth will have to woo moderate Republicans who have previously expressed skepticism about his nomination. 

Democrats are expected to hammer him over his past conduct and his qualifications to lead the government’s largest agency, which employs 3 million people.

HUNDREDS OF VETERANS TO DESCEND ON DC TO MARCH IN SUPPORT OF PETE HEGSETH'S CONFIRMATION

The 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran, who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is relatively young and inexperienced compared to defense secretaries past, having retired as a major. But Republicans say they don’t want someone who made it to the top brass, who’s become entrenched in the Pentagon establishment. 

Hegseth is sure to face questions about a sexual assault accusation from 2017. He’s acknowledged paying his accuser an undisclosed sum to keep quiet at the time for fear of losing his job, but he denies any non-consensual sex took place.

Former employees at veterans’ groups Hegseth used to run have accused him of financial mismanagement and excessive drinking, according to a New Yorker report, and NBC News reported that his drinking "concerned" colleagues at Fox News. 

Hegseth denies the accusations and said he would not drink "a drop of alcohol" if confirmed to lead the Defense Department. 

The hearing, which kicks off at 9:30 a.m., will be packed with veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C., to support Hegseth in the face of attacks.

In his opening statement, Hegseth is expected to acknowledge his supporters who have served, saluting "all the troops and veterans watching, and in this room — Navy SEALs, Green Berets, pilots, sailors, Marines, Gold Stars and more. Too many friends to name. Officers and enlisted. Black and white. Young and old. Men and women. All Americans. All warriors."

"This hearing is for you," Hegseth will say in front of the committee. "Thank you for figuratively, and literally, having my back. I pledge to do the same for you. All of you."

Taking a swipe at the Biden administration, Hegseth says the DoD under Trump's watch "will achieve peace through strength" and "will remain patriotically apolitical and stridently constitutional. Unlike the current administration."

"Leaders — at all levels — will be held accountable," his opening statement says. "And warfighting and lethality — and the readiness of the troops and their families — will be our only focus."

"That has been my focus ever since I first put on the uniform as a young Army ROTC cadet at Princeton University in 2001," Hegseth adds. "I served with incredible Americans in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Afghanistan and in the streets of Washington, D.C."

"This includes enlisted soldiers I helped become American citizens, and Muslim allies I helped immigrate from Iraq and Afghanistan. And when I took off the uniform, my mission never stopped."

For weeks, Hegseth has been visiting Capitol Hill to meet with senators, including those who are skeptical of him. Last Wednesday, he met with the top Armed Services Committee Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and the meeting apparently didn’t go well. 

"Today’s meeting did not relieve my concerns about Mr. Hegseth’s lack of qualifications and raised more questions than answers," Reed said in a statement.

Hegseth must first win a majority in a vote of the Armed Services Committee, made up of 14 Republicans and 13 Democrats, meaning one Republican defection could tank the vote.

He then needs to win a simple majority on the Senate floor, meaning he can afford to lose no more than three Republican votes. 

"I think he kind of knows that all he needs is Republican votes to get from now into the job," said a Democrat aide. "His job is to just keep his head down and not say something that would create an opening for these [Republicans], many of whom I really don't think want to vote for him, to have a reason to revisit that. So I expect that he's going to try to say very little and say it very calmly and politely."

In committee, all eyes will be on Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a veteran herself who at first seemed hesitant about Hegseth. After two meetings with the nominee, Ernst said she would support him through the confirmation process and looked forward to a fair hearing. She didn’t commit to voting for him. 

Senators will also take a fine-toothed comb to Hegseth’s lengthy record of public comments on TV and across the five books he’s written. 

One such belief is that women should not fight in combat roles. 

"Dads push us to take risks. Moms put the training wheels on our bikes. We need moms. But not in the military, especially not in combat units," he wrote in his most recent book, "The War on Warriors," published in 2024.

"Men are, gasp, biologically stronger, faster and bigger. Dare I say, physically superior," Hegseth added.

PETE HEGSETH SAYS HE HASN'T HEARD FROM WEST POINT SINCE EMPLOYEE 'ERROR' DENYING HIS ACCEPTANCE

On a Nov. 7 episode of the Shawn Ryan podcast, which aired mere days before Hegseth was tapped to serve as Defense Secretary, the nominee said, "I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles."

Hegseth later told Fox News in December that women are some of the U.S.’ "greatest warriors." 

"I also want an opportunity here to clarify comments that have been misconstrued, that I somehow don't support women in the military; some of our greatest warriors, our best warriors out there are women," he said.

Female service members "love our nation, want to defend that flag, and they do it every single day around the globe. I'm not presuming anything," he added.