Even though Trump has not officially been inaugurated, the Senate can confirm cabinet members before his Oath of Office.

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department sat for a Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday after hearings for Veterans’ Affairs Secretary nominee Doug Collins and Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum were postponed.

The incoming president's pick to lead the Defense Department made $4.6 million as host at the cable news network over two years.

Hegseth faced tough questions from Senate Democrats, who pressed the former Fox News host about his record challenging DEI policies

Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are beginning their nomination process this week, starting with Trump’s choice for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth

As Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20, Republicans will have a majority in the Senate. This means that his Cabinet nominees will likely face an easier path to confirmation, even for those who may have surrounded themselves with controversies.

Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed doubts about the Fox News host's ability to lead the U.S. military

President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks are set to begin the confirmation process with several appearing before Senate committees this week. Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth and former Georgia Congressman Doug Collins are up first on Tuesday.

Pete Hegseth vowed to foster a "warrior culture" at the Pentagon and be a "change agent." He did not address the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking, focusing instead on his combat experience.

Notably, Gabbard questioned the US intelligence community’s assessments that Assad was behind a deadly chlorine gas attack the same year she met with the Syrian strongman, to which Trump said at the time: “There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons.”

Confirmation hearings begin this week for President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet. The Republican-led senate is likely to confirm most of Trump’s picks but the fate of some of his more controversial nominees is still unclear.

Combat veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth is among President-elect Trump's more controversial cabinet nominees.