Washington Pete Hegseth, president-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Defense Department, is in jeopardy as Senate Republicans become more alarmed over allegations of his drinking and mistreatment of women.
According to three Republican sources with direct knowledge of Hegseth’s nomination process, NBC News reports that up to six Senate Republicans, if not more, are currently uncomfortable with the former Fox News anchor’s ambition to head the Pentagon as fresh information about his background keeps coming to light. Hegseth can only afford to lose three GOP votes, assuming all Democrats vote against him, because Republicans will have a tiny Senate majority in the upcoming Congress.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who is on the Armed Services Committee, stated that she would question the former cable news personality about news reports of his alleged financial mismanagement, mistreatment of women, and alcohol consumption, but she would not promise to endorsing Hegseth’s candidacy.
Regarding Hegseth’s nomination process, Ernst stated, “We’re just going to have a really frank and thorough conversation.”
After Trump declared he would propose the former Fox anchor for defense secretary, a police report surfaced accusing Hegseth, a veteran of the Army National Guard, of sexually assaulting a woman in California in 2017. Despite paying an undisclosed sum as part of a settlement with the woman, Hegseth was not charged and denied the woman’s claims, claiming the contact was consensual.
In a separate story, NBC News said Tuesday that ten current and former Fox workers expressed worry about Hegseth’s drinking. Before Hegseth appeared on television more than a dozen times, two of them said that he had an alcoholic odor.
Last month’s initial accusations against Hegseth didn’t seem to jeopardize his intended nomination. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who chairs the Armed Services Committee, stated he expected Hegesth to be approved following his initial round of discussions on Capitol Hill last month. However, Wicker sounded more circumspect on Tuesday following a string of other accusations regarding Hegseth’s past, but before NBC News covered the claims regarding drinking at Fox News.
Wicker stated, “I believe some members have questions, and we’re going to be looking for an answer.”
A previously undisclosed 2015 whistleblower complaint from a veterans nonprofit Hegseth managed was reported by the New Yorker on Sunday, alleging he was frequently drunk at work. Hegseth’s attorney did not reply to a request for comment on the story on Monday, and NBC News has not seen the report, which was distributed to the nonprofit’s leadership. An anonymous Hegseth counsel termed the allegations “ludicrous” and claimed they originated from a jealous, vindictive, and dissatisfied former associate in a statement the attorney gave to The New Yorker.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., stated Tuesday that Hegseth needs to provide an explanation for media stories about his prior behavior so that senators would feel comfortable voting in favor of his confirmation, but that he is still willing to support Hegseth and thinks he deserves a fair screening.
We have a procedure that allows us to question him. “Yes, some of the articles I’ve read are concerning,” Graham remarked. He’ll go through the procedure, albeit I’m not sure if that’s accurate. They’ll question him about it. We’ll wait and see.
Hegseth spoke with several senators on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. A request for comment was not immediately answered by the Trump transition team.
Due to resistance from Senate Republicans, another Trump candidate for his Cabinet was removed from consideration last month. Five people with direct knowledge told NBC News at the time that at least five Senate Republicans were ready to vote against Trump’s choice for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., because of claims of sexual misconduct with a minor (which Gaetz denied and was not charged with).
The accusations against Hegseth have been dismissed by a number of Republican senators, who claim to support Trump’s right to choose his own cabinet.
Hegseth “has earned a great deal of credibility,” according to Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., who on Monday referred to the accusations as a side matter.
Do soldiers occasionally act like crazy kids? Lummis responded, “Yeah, that can happen,” when asked if the accusations worried her. However, it is evident that Pete Hegseth is the solution to the issue at a time when Americans are losing faith in their own armed forces and our capacity to project power globally.
Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, was asked on Tuesday to address the claims of alcohol abuse and womanizing. He said, “That would not be novel in Washington, D.C.”
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