WASHINGTON — Pete Hegseth’s bid to guide the Pentagon beneath Donald Trump’s second time period within the White Home seems to be again on monitor as Republican senators look previous allegations leveled towards him involving alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct.
The Military veteran and former Fox Information host, who has denied the allegations, on Monday met with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a fight veteran and survivor of sexual assault, for a second time. Their discussions gave the impression to be headed in a optimistic course, with Ernst saying she extracted concessions from Hegseth on auditing the Pentagon and naming a senior official targeted on tackling sexual assault within the navy, a key precedence for the Senate Armed Companies Committee member.
“As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources,” Ernst mentioned in a press release, echoing Hegseth’s supporters who’ve denounced the allegations leveled towards him as a media-driven “witch hunt.”
The assertion from Ernst signaled a significant vibe shift after the senator had pointedly refused to say something optimistic concerning the pending nomination final week, producing hypothesis that Hegseth might go the way in which of former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew as Trump’s choose to guide the Division of Justice after Senate GOP opposition.
Beginning late final week, Ernst obtained vicious on-line criticism from pro-Trump influencers, with the likes of Trump-favorite @Catturd2 calling her “the last war pig” and @DC_Draino suggesting she face a main election problem from one other Republican. The senator is up for reelection in 2026.
“We are learning a lot about Joni Ernst and the Senate establishment right now,” TurningPointUSA founder Charlie Kirk mentioned in a single put up on social media. “Trump faithful are talking about finding a primary challenger. This is getting very serious.”
Kirk known as the assertion from Ernst on Monday nice progress.
Mike Davis, a MAGA diehard and former prime GOP Senate aide, informed Politico the burden of proof is on the accuser to return ahead whereas showing to dismiss the allegations even when they rang true.
“Let’s get this straight: Pete Hegseth used to drink too much and couldn’t keep his dick in his pants? He’d make a great senator,” Davis wrote in a social media put up.
Hegseth’s legal professional, in the meantime, threatened to sue the unnamed accuser if she publicly makes “false statements.”
Kevin Dietsch through Getty Photos
Since each member of the Senate Democratic caucus is anticipated to oppose his bid, Hegseth can afford to lose not more than three GOP senators in subsequent 12 months’s Congress when Republicans will management the higher chamber with a slender 53-47 majority.
Different key Republican senators are slated to fulfill with Hegseth this week, together with Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). Murkowski mentioned final week that she had “some very real concerns” concerning the allegations leveled towards him.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who beforehand known as the allegations towards Hegseth “disturbing,” additionally seemed to be warming to his bid to guide the nation’s largest and oldest authorities company.
“The accusations being made regarding financial management of veterans service organizations and personal misconduct should only be considered by the committee if they are supported by testimony before Congress — not anonymous sources,” Graham mentioned in a press release, referring to allegations of monetary mismanagement at a veterans charity Hegseth led in 2016.
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Graham was enraged by the affirmation course of for Supreme Courtroom Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 through which a sexual assault accusation got here to gentle via media stories. It finally resulted in public testimony by the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, that Graham and different Republicans merely mentioned they didn’t imagine.
Though there have been stories final week that Trump was contemplating changing Hegseth with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), the president-elect defended the previous Fox Information host in a put up on his social media platform Reality Social on Friday.
“Pete Hegseth is doing very well,” Trump wrote. “His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe. He was a great student – Princeton/Harvard educated – with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense … one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!”
