As embattled secretary of defense nominee Pete Hegseth emerged midday Wednesday from incoming Senate majority leader John Thune’s office, he was quickly surrounded by reporters. Hegeth said he had spoken that morning to Donald Trump, and that the president-elect “fully” supports him. “We’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth added. The former Fox & Friends weekend anchor urged reporters with questions to watch his upcoming interview with another former Fox host, Megyn Kelly.
Hegseth made the rounds on Capitol Hill amid growing opposition from lawmakers and questions over his qualifications and fitness to lead the Pentagon. Hegseth, a former Army officer, has drawn praise from some for his military service but is under scrutiny for his lack of leadership experience, controversial views, and mounting misconduct allegations involving women and alcohol. Meanwhile, alternative candidates including Senator Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, are reportedly being floated as potential replacements if Hegseth’s nomination collapses.
Among Senate Republicans I’ve encountered this week, reactions to Hegseth range from strong support to outright skepticism. Republican senators like Florida’s Rick Scott, Oklahoma’s Markwayne Mullin and Texas’s Ted Cruz offered unequivocal support, with the latter calling him a “very impressive guy” with “a vision of reforming the Defense Department and refocusing it on its core mission, and that is supporting the war fighter and enhancing lethality—to be prepared to defeat and if necessary kill the enemy.” Others, like Senator John Cornyn, also of Texas, have yet to take a position, waiting for their scheduled meetings with the nominee.
One junior GOP senator who agreed to speak on background about Hegseth’s nomination said they doubted he would be confirmed by the Senate. The senator suggested that “Trump was unaware of his problems with women and alcohol when he nominated him,” adding that a complete review of Hegseth’s leadership of the nonprofit Concerned Veterans for America (CVFA) could reveal “a degree of financial mismanagement that would be disqualifying.”
The New Yorker reported Sunday that “a trail of documents, corroborated by the accounts of former colleagues, indicates that Hegseth was forced to step down by both of the two nonprofit advocacy groups that he ran—Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America—in the face of serious allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety, and personal misconduct.” (An attorney for Hegseth, Timothy Parlatore, dismissed the “outlandish claims laundered through The New Yorker.”) A 2016 letter from a CVFA trustee, published Wednesday in the New York Post, described Hegseth as having “voluntarily resigned” over “a difference of opinion as to the future of the organization.”
In addition, Vanity Fair special correspondent Gabriel Sherman reported last month on the Trump transition team learning about a 2017 sexual assault allegation made against Hegseth, which he denies. On Tuesday, Sherman reported about Hegseth’s first marriage, a period in which sources say he admitted to multiple infidelities. (Parlatore did not respond to a detailed list of questions for Sherman’s story, though did impugn his reporting in a statement.) And The New York Times revealed that Hegseth’s mother, Penelope Hegseth, had accused her son of mistreating women in a 2018 email; a Trump spokesman called the Times “despicable” for publishing “an out-of-context snippet,” while of Penelope defended her son Wednesday on Fox News.
At the Capitol this week, Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican nominated by Trump to serve as secretary of state, expressed measured optimism while emphasizing the Senate’s vetting role. “I like Pete. I think he would do a good job,” Rubio said. He refrained from endorsing Hegseth outright, adding, “The Senate will have to do its job.”
Other Republicans echoed the need for thorough scrutiny. Senator Katie Britt of Alabama said she plans to meet with Hegseth, adding that her evaluation would center on his “vision for the position” and addressing questions important to her constituents. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, did not commit to supporting Hegseth, saying instead that he will meet with Trump’s pick to discuss “plans for building up the military and peace through strength.” Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas said he is withholding judgment until he has all the facts, referencing his father’s advice to “only believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.” Senator John Boozman of Arkansas signaled hesitation, particularly when questioned about past controversies involving Hegseth, including alleged misconduct. “That’s why we have hearings,” Boozman said with a laugh, acknowledging the likelihood of a contentious confirmation process.
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