Senators vetting the nomination of Pete Hegseth for defense secretary received an affidavit from a former sister-in-law alleging that the onetime Fox News was abusive to his second wife to the point where she feared for her safety.

Pete Hegseth's former sister-in-law said in an affidavit to senators on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon abused his second ex-wife to the point where she once hid in a closet and gave friends a code word to use in a crisis.

Senators have received an affidavit from the former sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth, President Trump's nominee to serve as secretary of defense, that says his behavior caused his second wife to fear for her safety.

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.

Senate Republicans are trudging through the process to confirm President Trump's nominees as Democrats push back on their speedy approval.

Senate Republicans are moving "full steam ahead" on confirming President Donald Trump's Cabinet picks and are focused on speeding up the process. The GOP aims to hold votes this week on Pete Hegseth for defense secretary and Kristi Noem for homeland security chief.