As a controversial candidate for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth emerged midday Wednesday from the incoming Senate majority leader John Thunehis office, he was quickly surrounded by reporters. Hegeth speak that morning he spoke to Donald Trump, and the president-elect “absolutely” supports him. “We’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth added. The previous one Fox & Friends The weekend host urged reporters with questions to stay tuned upcoming interview with another former Fox host, Megyn Kelly.
Hegseth walked around Capitol Hill in the background Opposition is growing from lawmakers and questions about his qualifications and ability to lead the Pentagon. Hegseth, a former army officer, has been praised by some for his military service but is under scrutiny for his lack of leadership experience, controversial viewand made false accusations regarding women and alcohol. Meanwhile, alternative candidates include Sen Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican and Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis, reported is being floated as potential replacements if Hegseth’s nomination collapses.
Among the Senate Republicans I met with this week, reactions to Hegseth ranged from strong support to outright skepticism. Republican senators like Florida Rick Scott, of OklahomaMarkwayne Mullin and Texas Ted Cruz gave clear support, then called him a “very impressive guy” with “a vision to reform the Department of Defense and refocus it on its core mission, and that is aircraft support combat and increased lethality — ready to defeat and if necessary destroy the enemy.” Others, like Senator John Cornyn, also from Texas, has not yet taken a position and is awaiting a scheduled meeting with the nominee.
One Republican junior senator who agreed to speak about Hegseth’s nomination background said they doubted whether 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 full assessment of Hegseth’s leadership of the nonprofit Veterans Affairs Associated Combatants of America (CVFA) could reveal “a level of financial mismanagement that would be disqualifying.”
New Yorker reported Sunday that “a series of documents, corroborated by the accounts of former colleagues, show that Hegseth was forced to resign by both of the nonprofit advocacy groups he ran—Veterans for Freedom and Veterans Concerned for America—in the face of a dire situation. allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety and personal misconduct.” (Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, refute “outlandish claims being laundered through New Yorker.”) A 2016 letter from a CVFA trustee, published Wednesday in the New York Post Office, is described Hegseth “voluntarily resigned” because of “differences of opinion regarding the future of the organization.”
Besides, Vanity fair special reporter Gabriel Sherman reported months before Trump’s transition team learned of a 2017 sexual assault allegation against Hegseth, which he denies. On Tuesday, Sherman reported About Hegseth’s first marriage, a period during which sources said he admitted to multiple infidelity. (Parlatore did not respond to a detailed list of questions for Sherman’s story, despite refuting his reporting in a statement.) And New York Times disclose Hegseth’s mother, Penelope Hegseth, accused her son of mistreating women in a 2018 email; a Trump spokesman called time “despicable” for publishing “an excerpt out of context”, while Penelope protect her son Wednesday on Fox News.
At the Capitol this week, Sen Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican nominated by Trump to be secretary of state, expressed measured optimism while emphasizing the Senate’s role as a check. “I like Pete. I think he will do a good job,” Rubio said. He refused to endorse Hegseth outright, adding, “The Senate will have to do its job.”
Other Republicans echoed the need for scrutiny. senator Katie Britt of Alabama said she plans to meet with Hegseth, adding that her review will focus on “his vision for the position” and address questions important to her constituents. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, did not pledge support for Hegseth, instead saying he would meet with Trump’s pick to discuss a “build-up plan.” military and peace through strength”. senator Roger Marshall of Kansas said he would withhold judgment until he had all the facts, referencing his father’s advice to “believe only half of what you see and none of what you hear.” senator John Boozman of Arkansas appeared hesitant, especially when asked about past controversies involving Hegseth, including allegations of misconduct. “That’s why we have hearings,” Boozman said with a laugh, acknowledging the possibility of a contentious confirmation process.
