WASHINGTON — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled pick for defense secretary, brushed apart options Wednesday that he drop out and stated he had spoken to Trump, who urged him to “preserve going, preserve preventing.”
“I spoke to the president-elect this morning. He stated, ‘Keep going, preserve preventing. I’m behind you all the best way.’” Hegseth advised CBS News within the Capitol Wednesday. “Why would I again down? I’ve at all times been a fighter. I’m right here for the fighters. This is private and passionate for me.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and navy veteran, made his remarks as he shuttled between conferences with the Republican senators whose votes he’ll have to be confirmed.
But his nomination seemed to be in critical jeopardy on Tuesday and Wednesday after a collection of stories studies raised extra questions on his therapy of girls and his historical past with alcohol. NBC News reported Tuesday that Hegseth’s drinking concerned his colleagues at Fox News, in keeping with 10 present and former Fox workers. At instances, earlier than occurring air, colleagues stated he smelled of alcohol or talked about being hung over.
On Wednesday, Hegseth’s mom, Penelope Hegseth, defended her son on “Fox and Friends” and addressed a 2018 e-mail she wrote amid his divorce that accused him of mistreating ladies for years. Details of the e-mail have been printed final week by The New York Times.
Hegseth has denied that he mistreated ladies and rejected allegations that he sexually assaulted a girl in Monterey, California, in 2017, describing the encounter as consensual. He reached an undisclosed settlement with the lady final 12 months.
Responding to the NBC report about Hegseth’s ingesting, a Trump transition official referred to as the allegations “utterly unfounded and false.”
With Republicans holding a 53 to 47 majority within the Senate subsequent 12 months, every of Trump’s nominees can afford to lose solely three GOP votes if all Democrats vote no. That makes Hegseth’s path to affirmation extraordinarily treacherous: As many as six Senate Republicans are not comfortable supporting Hegseth’s bid to steer the Pentagon, in keeping with a number of GOP sources conversant in the method, and there could also be extra.
Hegseth confirmed no indicators of calling it quits on Wednesday. In the morning, Hegseth huddled with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in his committee workplace. Around midday, Hegseth met with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who was just lately elected majority chief.
In response to the allegations in opposition to him, Hegseth referred reporters to an interview he taped with former Fox News host Megyn Kelly earlier within the day. In the meantime, he stated he’s targeted on “what Donald Trump requested me to do.”
“Your job is to carry a war-fighting ethos again to the enemy,” he continued. “Your job is to make it possible for it’s lethality, lethality, lethality. Everything else is gone. Everything else that distracts from that shouldn’t be taking place. That’s the message I’m listening to from senators in that advise and consent course of. It’s been a beautiful course of.”
Hegseth additionally made the quick stroll throughout the Capitol to the House facet to fulfill with members of the Republican Study Committee, the biggest caucus of conservatives on Capitol Hill (although House members don’t vote on government department nominees).
Later Wednesday, Hegseth was set to fulfill with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, an Iraq battle veteran and sexual assault and home violence survivor whose title has been considered one of a number of floated to exchange Hegseth ought to he bow out.
NBC News reported Tuesday evening that Trump is contemplating changing Hegseth amid the opposition to his nomination. Others whom Trump could tap to lead the Pentagon, sources conversant in the decision-making stated, are Ernst; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a one-time main rival who later endorsed Trump; Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Trump’s former ambassador to Japan; and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s present choose for nationwide safety adviser.
Trump has already seen one high-profile Cabinet choose drop out. Before the Thanksgiving break, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, one other Florida Republican, dropped his bid to grow to be Trump’s legal professional common after operating into opposition from GOP senators. And on Tuesday, Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff and Trump’s choice to steer the Drug Enforcement Administration, stated he was eradicating his title from consideration.
Lindsey Pipia, Kate Santaliz and Kyle Stewart contributed.
