WASHINGTON —

Pete Hegseth barely squeaked through a grueling Senate confirmation process to become secretary of defense earlier this year, facing lawmakers wary of the Fox News Channel host and skeptical of his capacity, temperament and fitness for the job.

Just three months later, he quickly became embroiled in " Signalgate " as he and other top U.S. officials used the popular Signal messaging application to discuss pending military strikes in Yemen. Advertisement

And now, in what may be his most career-defining moment yet, Hegseth is confronting questions about the use of military force after a special operations team reportedly attacked survivors of a strike on an alleged drug boat off the coast of Venezuela . Some lawmakers and legal experts say the second strike would

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