So far, Hagel has struggled to spar with his former Republican colleagues, stumbling over answers defending his controversial past statements on Israel, Iran, and the U.S. nuclear program.

But the most uncomfortable moment was definitely when Sen. Lindsey Graham grilled Hagel over a 2006 interview in which he said that the "pro-Israel lobby intimidates a lot of people" in Congress.

"Name one person here who's been intimidated by the Jewish lobby," Graham demanded. "Name one dumb thing we've been goaded into doing due to pressure by the Israeli or Jewish lobby."