Following the release of a police report regarding sexual assault allegations against him, Senate Republicans responded in a variety of ways Thursday to President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he will appoint Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, who has been accused of sexual assault, to head the Defense Department.
While some senators expressed apprehension, others praised Trump’s choice. One senator told NBC News, “I don’t care,” in response to a police report that was made public on Wednesday regarding a 2017 sexual assault claim against Hegseth.
When asked if the sexual assault report made him reconsider Hegseth’s potential appointment to Trump’s Cabinet, Members of the Armed Services Committee, including Senator Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., stated, “It’s a pretty big problem, given that we have, you know, we have a sexual assault problem in our military.”
With a lengthy process ahead, Cramer declined to comment on whether the accusation would influence his vote.
“This is the reason you have background checks, you know. Hearings are held for this reason. For this reason, you must undergo inspection. Although I won’t judge him, Cramer acknowledged that the claim was somewhat alarming.
Hegseth, a longstanding ally, was chosen by Trump last week as his pick to head the Pentagon. Trump characterized him as tough, intelligent, and a firm believer in America First.
According to a police complaint filed Wednesday night, an unnamed lady informed police in 2017 that Hegseth had sexually attacked her following a Republican women’s convention in California after he had stolen her phone and stopped her from leaving a hotel room.
Hegseth has denied any misconduct and was not charged.
The report, according to a statement from Trump’s transition spokesperson and his choice for White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, “corroborates what Mr. Hegseth’s attorneys have said all along: the incident was fully investigated and no charges were filed because police found the allegations to be false.”
Trump’s choice was also supported by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who stated that he had seen the article and will work to have Hegseth confirmed.
Mullin described Hegseth as a “solid individual” and “the right man for the job” when NBC News questioned him about his suitability to manage the Pentagon.
It’s not as though he lacks military experience. He is ideal for the job, in my opinion,” Mullin remarked. He’s really talented, in my opinion. And President Trump has faith in him for a reason.
The sexual misconduct claims made in the 2017 report were also denied by Mullin, who described them as “an unfortunate situation that took place” and said Hegseth “was accused of doing something that I don’t believe he did.”
Along with calling Hegseth a “great choice by @realDonaldTrump, to change Washington,” Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., stated on X that he intends to support Hegseth’s confirmation.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., attempted to link his handling of the Hegseth accusations to his handling of the 1993 rape accusation against President Joe Biden that came to light during his 2020 presidential campaign.
Graham stated, “When Biden was accused of rape, I said, ‘That’s not Biden I know,'” adding that Congress would not “try” Hegseth because of “press statements,” which seemed to be a reference to the police report.
When NBC News informed him that Hegseth’s accusations were found in a police record rather than a press release, Graham responded, “I don’t care.”
Potentially harmful claims of sexual misbehavior have also been made against two other candidates for important positions in Trump’s Cabinet.
A woman who was employed in the late 1990s to serve as a babysitter for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choice to lead the Health and Human Services Department, claimed in a July Vanity Fair article that he had grabbed her while she was employed by Kennedy and his wife.
“I have so many skeletons in my closet that if they could all vote, I could run for king of the world,” Kennedy stated in response to the accusation over the summer.
Due to claims that he had sex with a child and paid two other women for sex in 2017, former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from contention for attorney general on Thursday. He has denied the accusations for a long time.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told NBC News that Hegseth was facing similar, difficult accusations after Gaetz withdrew his name.
“I’m interested to see how those are addressed,” Coons stated.
Despite the accusations against Trump’s nominations, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., urged the Senate to proceed with its vetting process, saying, “Let’s go through the committee process here.”
According to Hawley, Gaetz clearly decided in the end that he didn’t want to go through the procedure. However, I would advise allowing your nominee to do so if he so desires. Allow him to testify, and wait until they have had an opportunity to do so and address these issues before passing judgment or drawing conclusions.
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