--- title: Controversy Over Pete Hegseth’s Viral ASEAN Moment description: During his confirmation hearing, Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee couldn’t name a single member of the Southeast Asian bloc. canonical: https://time.com/7207004/pete-hegseth-asean-asia-tammy-duckworth-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing/ author: Chad de Guzman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-01-15T04:30:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:49:32.906Z article:section: Politics og:title: Controversy Over Pete Hegseth’s Viral ASEAN Moment og:description: During his confirmation hearing, Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee couldn’t name a single member of the Southeast Asian bloc. og:url: https://time.com/7207004/pete-hegseth-asean-asia-tammy-duckworth-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt82d2f75aec5e4057/6998b27666d4e30dfbcba43b/pete-hegseth.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Pete Hegseth og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Controversy Over Pete Hegseth’s Viral ASEAN Moment twitter:description: During his confirmation hearing, Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee couldn’t name a single member of the Southeast Asian bloc. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt82d2f75aec5e4057/6998b27666d4e30dfbcba43b/pete-hegseth.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Should the U.S. Defense Secretary Know What ASEAN Is? Pete Hegseth Doesn’t Appear To > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=e724527a-dcd7-46d0-a4fe-0ef4117788d0&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Should the U.S. Defense Secretary Know What ASEAN Is? Pete Hegseth Doesn’t Appear To [Watch (HLS stream): Should the U.S. Defense Secretary Know What ASEAN Is? Pete Hegseth Doesn’t Appear To](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ptQIjGjA.m3u8) (1:30)  _Published 2025-01-15. During Tuesday's heated Senate confirmation hearing, Senator Tammy Duckworth grilled for Pete Hegseth over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations._  by [Chad de Guzman](https://time.com/author/chad-de-guzman/)  ## Chad de Guzman Reporter Jan 15, 2025 4:30 AM UTC During Tuesday's heated Senate confirmation hearing, Senator Tammy Duckworth grilled for Pete Hegseth over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.  by [Chad de Guzman](https://time.com/author/chad-de-guzman/)  ## Chad de Guzman Reporter Jan 15, 2025 4:30 AM UTC Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host whom Donald Trump has nominated to be Defense Secretary, came under fire on Tuesday during his Senate confirmation hearing, where he faced questions about his history of alleged [sexual assault](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/20/us/politics/police-report-sexual-assault-claim-hegseth.html) and [excessive drinking](https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/pete-hegseths-secret-history), his [views on women in the military](https://time.com/7206761/pete-hegseth-senate-hearing-defense-military-women/), and his [role in the pardoning of men accused of war crimes](https://time.com/7176342/pete-hegseth-donald-trump-pardon-war-crimes-military/). But one particular moment from the 4.5-hour grilling has gained traction online: when he wasn’t able to name a single country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In what has now gone viral, with millions of views on X and other platforms, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth from Illinois, who has called Hegseth “[not qualified](https://time.com/7206587/hegseth-hearing-military-duckworth/),” says she appreciates that he’s “talked about the Indo-Pacific a little bit.” She then asks Hegseth if he could “name the importance of at least one of the nations in ASEAN and what type of agreement we have with at least one of those nations.” She adds: “And how many nations are in ASEAN, by the way?” Hegseth responds that he “couldn’t tell you the exact amount of nations in that” before saying “but I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan and in AUKUS with Australia…” “None of those three countries that you’ve mentioned are in ASEAN,” Duckworth interjected. “I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of negotiations.” > [](https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879227822415208492) ASEAN, a bloc that has had [diplomatic relations with the U.S. for nearly half a century](https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-asean-relationship-3/), has 10 members—Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Though ASEAN is not a military alliance, the U.S. has defense alliances with both the [Philippines](https://www.state.gov/u-s-philippines-relations/) and [Thailand](https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-thailand/), while [Singapore](https://www.mfa.gov.sg/Overseas-Mission/Washington/About-Singapore-US-Relations) is a Major Security Cooperation Partner. Former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Fla.) shared a clip of the moment [on X](https://x.com/DebbieforFL/status/1879283489771803025) and questioned Hegseth’s suitability for the role. “Hegseth can’t name one country that’s part of ASEAN and he doesn’t know any of the US international security agreements. America, if you want peace and security, this ain’t it!” she wrote. Other social media users were also concerned about Hegseth’s gaffe. “This is simultaneously hilarious and terrifying,” one user on X [posted](https://x.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1879327600931443042). “No great power in history has combined such immense imperial hubris with such profound ignorance of others.” “From a basic knowledge standpoint, Pete Hegseth is woefully unqualified for this job,” posted the anti-Trump organization [Really American](https://x.com/ReallyAmerican1/status/1879240932698255411). VoteVets, a liberal advocacy group, called it a “[mic drop](https://x.com/votevets/status/1879227722482000002)” moment. **Read More:** [_How Asia Is Bracing for Trump’s Second Term_](https://time.com/7174087/trump-second-term-foreign-policy-asia-approach/) But others came to Hegseth’s defense. “I’ve literally never heard of ASEAN and I’ve followed geopolitics all my life,” one X user [said](https://x.com/Bartisgreat/status/1879266158316270054). “Sounds like they’re just throwing obscure irrelevant gotcha questions at him and then saying ‘you should have prepared for this.’” Former Rep. Peter Mejier (R-Mich.) [posted](https://x.com/RepMeijer/status/1879271135470399995): “Ok this is dumb. Clearly Hegseth heard Asia, and If I was in Hegseth’s shoes I would have said the same thing about Japan/South Korea/AUKUS- bc it’s not at all clear why Duckworth is raising ASEAN, a political and economic union, in the context of Indo-Pacific defense agreements.” (AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the U.K., and the U.S.) In response to a [post](https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1879290091438477432) by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) praising Hegseth’s overall performance at the confirmation hearing, another X user [pointed out](https://x.com/JaredRyanSears/status/1879292292764410210): “Hegseth was so prepared that he couldn’t name a single ASEAN nation. Now, who should know about global affairs? Oh, that’s right, a Defense Secretary.” But don’t just take it from Democrats. The “[Free and Open Indo-Pacific](https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Free-and-Open-Indo-Pacific-4Nov2019.pdf)” strategy, which emerged during Trump’s first term to counter China’s growing influence in the region, names ASEAN as an institution Washington is keen on keeping close ties with: “ASEAN sits at the geographical center of the Indo-Pacific and is central to our vision.” ## Transcript Repeat the question, Senator? Sure. What is the highest level of international security agreement that you have led? And can you name some that the Secretary of Defense would lead? There's three main ones. I have not been involved in international security arrangements because I have not been in government other than serving in the military. So my job has no. You name one of the three main ones Secretary of Defense Defense arrangements. I mean, NATO might be one that you're referring to. Status of Forces agreement would be one of them. Status of Forces agreement. I've been a part of teaching about status of forces agreement. But you don't remember do you mention it? You're not qualified, Mr. Hegeth. You're not qualified. You talk about repairing our defense industrial complex. You're not qualified to that. You could do acquisition and cross servicing agreements, which is essentially are security agreements. You can't even mention that. You've done none of those. You talked about the Indo Pacific a little bit, and I'm glad that you mentioned it up mentioned it. Can you name the importance of at least one of the nations in the Ossian in Ossian and what type of agreement we have with at least one of those nations. And how many nations are in Ossian, by the way? I couldn't tell you the exact I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan and in August with Australia and trying to work on submarines with them Missa Hexa None of those countries allies cross None of those three countries that you've mentioned are in Ossian. 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