WASHINGTON, D.C. - Pete Hegseth, the Forest Lake native who is President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of defense, pitched himself to U.S. senators on Tuesday as a change agent who would restore what he called a "warrior culture" to the Pentagon.

At Hegseth's side as the Senate Armed Services Committee got underway was former Sen. Norm Coleman, the last Republican senator from Minnesota. The Armed Services panel, holding what is likely to be its only hearing on Hegseth's nomination, will weigh in ahead of a full Senate vote on Hegseth's nomination.

The Defense Deparment employs 3.4 million service members and civil servants and operates an annual defense budget of $840 billion. Hegseth spoke before an audience of many supporters in the audience, but struggled to get through his opening statement as Capitol Police ushered out protesters for disrupting his remarks.

Coleman, who has been helping guide Hegseth through the confirmation process, introduced him as a "son of Minnesota," and an "out of the box nominee" who could bring a new approach to leading the department.

"He is the real deal," Coleman said. "F. Scott Fitzgerald was an author in my city of St. Paul and said the problem with America is 'there are no second acts.'

"Pete was a brave soldier, has been an able communicator, and I believe is about to begin a great second act as our Secretary of Defense. He has struggled and he has overcome great personal challenges. Please don't give in to the cynical notion that people can't change," Coleman continued.

Democrats remained skeptical of Hegseth's ability to lead the Pentagon given past controversies, which they took turns highlighting. For most Democrats on the committee, it was their first chance to question Hegseth. They dug into his past remarks that women should not serve in combat and allegations he mismanaged a veterans group he once led, drank excessively and sexually assaulted a woman.

"I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job," said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the committee's ranking Democrat, to Hegseth at the hearing. Reed was the only Democrat on the committee who got a private meeting with Hegseth before the hearing.

Trump has stood behind Hegseth throughout the confirmation process. Hegseth, who has met with all the Armed Services Committee Republicans and most other Senate Republicans, has won some staunch support from party colleagues.

"I think he's a reformer. He's a good fit for the position. I think that the Pentagon's been saddled with ridiculous [diversity, equity and inclusion] politics and a lot of distractions. We need to get back to work," committee member Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., told the Minnesota Star Tribune last week.

Democrats have been wanting to see what's inside Hegseth's FBI background report, which only the committee chair and ranking member get briefed on before the hearing. NBC News reported that Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Reed received the report late last Friday.

"We usually receive all this well before the hearing is scheduled and nominees, almost universally, meet with the senators from the committee that they're going to be appearing before," Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats, said last week.

A simple majority of Senate Armed Services Committee members are needed to approve Hegseth's nomination before the full Senate would vote to confirm him. Republicans' majority on the panel gives him an edge.

If Hegseth makes it out of the committee, it would take only four Republican senators voting against him to sink his confirmation. Not all Senate Republicans have said whether they will vote to confirm him.

Ahead of the hearing, three of Minnesota's four Republicans in Congress said they support Hegseth. The exception is Rep. Brad Finstad, Minnesota's only member on the House Armed Services Committee. Finstad has repeatedly avoided weighing in on Hegseth and has not said anything publicly about him.

"He's exactly what the Department of Defense needs," Rep. Tom Emmer, Minnesota's highest ranking Republican member of Congress, said of Hegseth in a brief interview in early December. "He's perfect, turning back [soldiers] into warriors instead of this woke garbage that's happened under the Biden-Harris administration."

Emmer also predicted Hegseth's "record" and "what he offers and who he is" will close the deal on his confirmation.