President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering replacing his defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis amid resistance to Hegseth from a selection of GOP senators.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has been among Trump's most controversial Cabinet nominees due to questions on his qualifications to lead the Department of Defense and several allegations related to his personal life, including an accusation that he sexually assaulted a woman following a Republican conference in 2017.
GOP Senators Lindsey Graham and Susan Collins have publicly expressed concerns about the sexual assault allegation against Hegseth, raising doubts on the nominee's ability to gain confirmation in the Senate despite Republicans taking control of the upper chamber next month.
Concerns from Trump allies that Hegseth might not "survive further scrutiny," which could include an FBI background check, have now prompted the president-elect to consider DeSantis for the job instead, according to a Tuesday report from The Wall Street Journal citing "people familiar with the discussions."
This is a developing story and will be updated with further information.
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