Part 4/7:
Hagath defended his views by asserting he had never disparaged women serving in the military, claiming that concerns regarding lowered standards were based on personal observations and conversations with service members. He indicated that there was a need for a focus on maintaining high standards within combat training while insisting that those standards are, and should remain, gender-neutral. This response, however, was met with skepticism by Gillibrand, who contested his interpretations of military policy and the implications of his rhetoric.