President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegers, is in jeopardy as Senate Republicans grow increasingly concerned. drinking charges and reported on his treatment of women.
Three Republican sources with direct knowledge of Hegseth’s nomination process said that as many as six Senate Republicans, and perhaps more, are currently unwilling to support Hegseth to lead the Pentagon as new information about his past continues to be disclosed. effort. Given that Republicans hold a slim majority in the Senate in the next Congress, former Fox News host Hegers could only lose three Republican votes, assuming all Democrats vote no.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a member of the Armed Services Committee, would not commit to supporting Hegseth’s nomination and said she planned to grill him over news reports about allegations of alcoholism, abuse of women and financial mismanagement.
“We’re going to have a very candid and thorough conversation,” Ernst said.
Hegseth is an Army National Guard veteran In 2017, he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in California, according to police reports The news became public after Trump announced that he would nominate him to be secretary of defense. Hegseth, who was not charged, denied the woman’s accusations and said the encounter was consensual, although he did pay Amount undisclosed as part of a settlement with her.
Also, NBC News Tuesday report Hegseth’s drinking behavior caused concern among his colleagues at Fox News, according to 10 current and former Fox News employees. Two of them said Hegseth smelled of alcohol before taking the stage more than a dozen times. Hegseth did not respond when asked to comment on the allegations Tuesday night at the Capitol.
Last month’s initial charges did not appear to put Hegseth’s planned nomination in jeopardy. After the first round of meetings on Capitol Hill last month, Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said he expected Hegers to be confirmed. On Tuesday, Wicker sounded more cautious after a flurry of reports about Hegseth’s past but before NBC News reported on Fox News’ drinking allegations.
“I think some members have questions, and we’re going to find answers,” Wick said.
new yorker A report was published on Sunday about a previously undisclosed 2015 whistleblower report from a veterans group led by Hegseth, who claimed he was repeatedly drunk on the job. NBC News has not yet seen the report, which was shared by the nonprofit’s leadership, and Hegseth’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment for this article Monday. In a statement provided to The New Yorker by lawyers, an unidentified Heggs adviser called the claims “ridiculous” and said they came from a “narrow-minded, jealous and disgruntled former colleague.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he remains willing to support Hegseth and believes he deserves a fair review, but he said Tuesday that Hegseth must do so in a way that allows senators The way they voted with confidence explains media reports about his past behavior.
“We have a process for asking him questions. The articles that I’ve read, yes, some of them are concerning,” Graham said. “I don’t know if that’s true, but he’s going to go through the process. He’s going to be asked about it. We’ll see what happens.”
Hegseth met with several senators on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another Trump choice to fill out his Cabinet Withdrew from the competition last month Over the objections of Senate Republicans. Former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz was Trump’s pick to be attorney general, but at least five Senate Republicans were prepared to vote against him amid the indictments, five people with direct knowledge told NBC News at the time Sexual Misconduct.
Many Republican senators have Continue to downplay the accusationsexpressing their support for Trump’s prerogative to choose his own cabinet.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., on Monday called the accusations a “minor issue” and said Hegseth “has earned a lot of credibility.”
Asked if the accusations were relevant to her, Loomis said: “Are soldiers sometimes wild children? Yes, that can happen.” At a time when we are losing faith in our ability to project power around the world, this man is the man, and Pete Hegseth is the answer.”
Asked Tuesday to respond to accusations of obsession with women and alcoholism, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, responded: “This is not new in Washington, D.C.”
