Trump’s Defense Secretary Nominee Responds to Reports of Potential Replacement

Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has affirmed he maintains the president-elect’s support, following reports suggesting his nomination could be in jeopardy due to allegations of misconduct. Trump is reportedly considering Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a replacement for Hegseth, as reported by CBS News, a partner of the BBC, after Hegseth’s nomination came under intense scrutiny. Since Trump put forward the former Fox News host, questions have been raised regarding Hegseth’s qualifications, and a past allegation of sexual assault has surfaced. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing and was never arrested or charged. On Wednesday, Hegseth did not directly address the reports concerning DeSantis, telling reporters that Trump had instructed him to “keep going, keep fighting.” He spent the majority of the day in closed-door meetings on Capitol Hill, aiming to alleviate concerns and solidify support in the Senate. “I spoke to the president this morning. (Trump) supports me fully. We’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth told the BBC, pausing to speak outside the Senate chamber. In a post on X on Wednesday morning, Hegseth accused “the Left” of attempting to discredit him with “fake” stories. However, his nomination is also facing increasing examination from members of his own party, including US senators who hold the authority to confirm or reject his appointment when it comes to a vote. “I think some of these articles are very disturbing,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told CBS on Tuesday. “He obviously has a chance to defend himself here, but some of this stuff is going to be difficult.” “The president gets the benefit of the doubt with his nominees,” fellow Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota told the BBC. “But we still have a role to play. We’ll ask him questions and we’ll go from there.” Other Republicans signaled their support for Hegseth despite the controversies. Senator Rick Scott of Florida expressed his belief that Hegseth would receive Senate confirmation. He informed reporters that Hegseth was “somebody that’s clearly smart, and he’s somebody that clearly wants to make changes.” DeSantis, who was elected Florida governor in 2018, did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Trump declined to state whether DeSantis was under consideration for the role. DeSantis ran against Trump in the Republican primary, and before withdrawing, he was regarded by some as “Trump 2.0” – a Republican who could implement Trump’s populist agenda without the associated liabilities. This latest speculation, initially reported by the Wall Street Journal, emerges as Hegseth meets with members of Congress this week to discuss the position and garner support. Jasmine Crockett, a House Democrat from Texas and a vocal critic of Trump, does not view DeSantis as a superior choice. Crockett contends that, like Hegseth, DeSantis would “continue the culture war issues” he engaged in as Florida governor, which could impede the military’s “problem with recruitment.” Hegseth, a graduate of Princeton and Harvard universities, served as an infantry platoon leader in Guantanamo Bay and Iraq, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. In nominating Hegseth, who is also a former Fox News TV host, Trump highlighted the former soldier’s academic background and his military experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – our military will be great again, and America will never back down,” Trump wrote. However, despite being a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 44-year-old does not possess the extensive experience typically required for this cabinet position. He would also be the second-youngest individual to hold the office. Additionally, since his nomination, a police report has surfaced detailing accusations of an alleged sexual assault in 2017. The woman quoted in the complaint stated that Hegseth, then a Fox host, took her phone and blocked the door to a hotel room while at a Republican conference in California. Hegseth denies any wrongdoing, asserting the encounter was consensual. In an interview published Wednesday, conservative journalist Megyn Kelly asked Hegseth if he had assaulted a woman in Monterey, California, in 2017. “Absolutely not,” he replied. His mother, Penelope Hegseth, defended her son on the Fox and Friends program on Wednesday morning after the New York Times published details of an email she wrote to him in 2018, accusing him of routinely mistreating women. “I wrote that in haste. I wrote that with deep emotions,” she said of the email, adding that her son and his first wife were “going through a very difficult divorce.” “He’s redeemed, forgiven, changed. I think we all are after seven years,” she said. Beyond the accusations, some of Hegseth’s past comments regarding how he might reform the defense department have also attracted scrutiny. On a recent podcast, Hegseth stated that the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff – the top military leader in the US – should be dismissed, along with any military leader “involved in any of the DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] woke [expletive].” He has also argued that women should not serve in combat roles because this practice had not made the military “more effective” or “more lethal.” “As we think about his comments that talk about DEI, it’s yet another disqualifying attribute that he has,” Representative Marilyn Strickland, a Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told the BBC. CBS reports indicate increasing skepticism about Hegseth’s chances of securing enough votes for Senate confirmation. Two sources informed the news outlet that at least four Republican senators would likely vote against him if a vote were held today. Republicans are expected to hold a three-seat majority in the Senate, with 53 out of 100 senators, which must confirm cabinet-level positions in Trump’s new team. The loss of four Republican votes would be sufficient to defeat Hegseth’s nomination, provided Democrats and independents also vote against him. Hegseth is not Trump’s first controversial nomination before his return to the White House. Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, whom Trump nominated for US attorney general, also faced scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct – which he denied – that were the subject of a congressional report. Gaetz ultimately withdrew his nomination in late November, stating that the controversy surrounding him “was unfairly becoming a distraction” from the work of the incoming Trump administration. Additional reporting was provided by Brandon Drenon, who reported from the US Capitol. North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher offers insights into US politics in his twice-weekly US Election Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.