NEW: Trump’s Scandal-Ridden Defense Pick Pete Hegseth Facing “Disturbing” Allegations As “Regressive” Views Surface Arrow

Donald Trump's unqualified pick for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing blowback - even from members of his own party - for his scandal-ridden history of "disturbing" allegations and "regressive" views. From his extreme rhetoric "joking" about taking away women's voting rights and reproductive freedoms to his lack of basic qualifications for the job, Hegseth's record shows just how unfit he is to lead our military.

NEW: Pete Hegseth has "regressive" views on women's freedoms, including "joking that women shouldn't have the right to vote" and opposing women serving in combat.

Vanity Fair: "But Hegseth also displayed his hard-right politics. 'We would argue about women's reproductive rights. He had some regressive views on birth control. His position was basically, if you got pregnant it was your fault.' Another person close to Hegseth recalled him joking that women shouldn't have the right to vote. […]"

Pete Hegseth: "I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles."

Hegseth has never led a government agency or any organization "larger than a small nonprofit," raising doubts from Republicans and our military leaders alike about his lack of experience to run the Pentagon.

Politico: "Hegseth, if confirmed by the Senate, would lead 1.3 million active-duty troops in uniform and more than 750,000 civilians, hold contentious meetings with U.S. allies and develop strike options against the Islamic State and Iranian proxies. And while Hegseth has military experience, he has never run an organization larger than a small nonprofit.

"'Would you trust him to run Walmart?' said a former DOD official. 'Because that's how many employees we have.'

"'Folks are shocked,' said a current DOD official. 'He's just a Fox News personality that's never worked in the government.'

"'It is a massive bureaucracy, you have to understand how that works to support national security around the globe,' the official added. 'It is tedious and challenging and it is not at all related to getting on Fox News and pontificating.'"

Wall Street Journal: "Republican senators said that they want closer scrutiny of President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary. […] The former Fox News host was an unconventional choice for the top Pentagon job, as he has never led a large government agency, but the debate about his qualifications has been overshadowed by allegations related to his personal life. A 2017 sexual-assault allegation, which he later paid his accuser to keep secret, blindsided Trump transition officials. Other allegations continued to bubble up, further raising questions about his fitness for the post. […]

"Hegseth is now seen as the most vulnerable of Trump's picks. […]"

Even members of Trump's own party are calling the allegations against Hegseth "disturbing" and raising doubts about his lack of experience, making a confirmation "difficult."

Newsweek: "South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that it will be 'difficult' for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, to defend himself against an allegation of sexual assault.

"Graham called the allegation 'disturbing,' telling CBS News, 'I think some of these articles are very disturbing. He obviously has a chance to defend himself here, but some of this stuff is it's going to be difficult…'"

Washington Post: "Since being tapped to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host who has never run a large government agency, has faced allegations of sexual misconduct and mismanagement. He denies the charges and is now meeting with Senate Republicans to build support for his confirmation. […]

"In interviews this week, several GOP senators opted not to disclose whether they would vote for Hegseth, even as some Senate aides privately questioned whether he'd make it through the confirmation process."

NBC News: "As many as six Senate Republicans, perhaps more, are currently not comfortable supporting Hegseth's bid to lead the Pentagon as new revelations about the former Fox News anchor's past continue to be made public, three Republican sources with direct knowledge of his nomination process tell NBC News."