Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Defense Secretary is hitting some bumps in the road. With all the buzz around accusations and competing interests
Pete Hegseth, the controversial choice for Secretary of Defense by President-elect Donald Trump, is ready to go all out for the position as questions about his qualifications and past actions heat up. On Wednesday, Hegseth made it clear that he’s all in on proving he can lead the Pentagon, stating he plans to “fight like hell” to get that confirmation.
Questions Surrounding Controversies and Qualifications
Hegseth’s nomination isn’t exactly sailing through; even some Republican senators are pushing back. This pushback is tied to some pretty serious allegations about his past, both as a Fox News host and during his time in the military. Even with the hurdles, Hegseth described his chats with senators and the Senate Armed Services Committee as fruitful, saying, “That’s what Donald Trump asked me to do—bring a war-fighting ethos back to the Pentagon.” “It’s all about that lethality, you know? Lethality, lethality, lethality.”
It looks like President-elect Trump is keeping his options open, with some chatter about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis being in the mix. With a military background as a Navy officer and a notable stint as Florida’s governor, DeSantis is apparently catching Trump’s eye, who views his potential appointment as a savvy political play. Insiders say Trump is pretty excited about DeSantis, pointing out that it would make for a “big story” after their electoral showdown.
Hegseth Responds to Claims
Hegseth is in hot water right now, especially after an NBC News report dropped some serious allegations. Anonymous sources are saying he had some questionable habits, like coming to work hungover and reeking of booze while he was at Fox News. Multiple sources in the report claimed they spotted Hegseth smelling of alcohol before he went on-air and even overheard him talking about being hungover.
Hegseth has strongly pushed back against these allegations, calling them a smear campaign. During his chat on Megyn Kelly’s show, he brushed off the allegations, stating, “Tiny kernels of truth are being blown up into a masquerade of a narrative about somebody that I am definitely not.” He restated his position in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, insisting on a fair confirmation hearing that he described as free from a “press show trial.”
Hegseth Gets Support from Fox News Team
A bunch of Hegseth’s old colleagues over at Fox News have come out to deny the allegations, labeling the NBC report as totally unfounded. Will Cain, who co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend with Hegseth, straight-up called the claims “100 percent bullsht.” Cain took to X (formerly Twitter) to say, “Your story is horsesh*t, @NBCNews.” Just put my name on it. Just to be clear. Signed, the dude who spent eight hours a week sitting next to him for five years, kicking things off at 6 a.m.
Rachel Campos-Duffy, a fellow Fox News figure who teamed up with Hegseth, backed up Cain’s response, taking a jab at NBC News for not contacting those who actually worked alongside Hegseth. “The folks over at @NBCNews didn’t bother to reach out to me either.” @WillCain is spot on—your story is total nonsense.
The Road Forward
Hegseth is still all in on his nomination, but with the mix of allegations, some political games, and other contenders like DeSantis in the mix, getting confirmed is looking a bit tricky for him. With the Senate Armed Services Committee gearing up for hearings, Hegseth has a tough road ahead to defend his track record and persuade lawmakers that he’s the best fit to head the Department of Defense.
Summarized:
Pete Hegseth, who’s been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump for the defense secretary role, is all in on proving his qualifications and past actions, promising to fight like hell to make his case. Still, getting confirmed isn’t a done deal for him. Republican senators are voicing worries about some past misconduct allegations tied to Hegseth, which include his time as a Fox News host and his earlier military service. Hegseth talked about his time with Senators and the Senate Armed Services Committee, calling it a “wonderful process.” He highlighted that his mission is to restore a war-fighting spirit at the Pentagon.
Back in November, President-elect Trump shared his plan to nominate Hegseth for the role of U.S. Secretary of Defense. With all the buzz going around, it seems Trump is looking at some other options for the Defense Secretary role, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is on the list. Hegseth has been pretty open about Trump pushing him to go for a role, but it looks like the president-elect has been having some serious talks about bringing in Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who was his former primary rival, as the defense secretary.
Insiders say Trump is pretty pumped about the idea of bringing DeSantis on board, pointing out that it would definitely make for a “big story” by giving him a boost after their election showdown. The president-elect has praised Governor DeSantis’s leadership in Florida and frequently brings up his military background, calling him “a Navy guy.”
Several Fox News figures have come out to challenge the claims against Hegseth, pushing back strongly against a recent NBC News report. According to the article, which references ten unnamed current and former Fox employees, there are claims that Hegseth showed some troubling drinking habits while he was co-hosting Fox & Friends Weekend. There are claims from a couple of sources who mentioned catching a whiff of alcohol on Hegseth more than a dozen times before he went live.
Will Cain, who’s been co-hosting with Hegseth for a while, straight-up shot down the report, calling it total nonsense. Rachel Campos-Duffy, a fellow Fox News colleague who teamed up with Hegseth, backed up Cain’s take, labeling the story as “horsesht.”
