WASHINGTON — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled pick for defense secretary, brushed aside suggestions Wednesday that he drop out and said he had spoken to Trump, who urged him to “keep going, keep fighting.”
“I spoke to the president-elect this morning. He said, ‘Keep going, keep fighting. I’m behind you all the way.’” Hegseth told CBS News in the Capitol Wednesday. “Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter. I’m here for the fighters. This is personal and passionate for me.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and military veteran, made his remarks as he shuttled between meetings with the Republican senators whose votes he will need to be confirmed.
But his nomination appeared to be in serious jeopardy on Tuesday and Wednesday after a series of news report raised more questions about his treatment of women and his history with alcohol. NBC News reported Tuesday that Hegseth’s drinking concerned his colleagues at Fox News, according to 10 current and former Fox employees. At times, before going on air, colleagues said he smelled of alcohol or talked about being hung over.
On Wednesday, Hegseth’s mother, Penelope Hegseth, defended her son on “Fox and Friends” and addressed a 2018 email she wrote amid his divorce that accused him of mistreating women for years. Details of the email were published last week by The New York Times.
Hegseth has denied that he mistreated women and rejected allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in Monterey, California, in 2017, describing the encounter as consensual. He reached an undisclosed settlement with the woman last year.
Responding to the NBC report about Hegseth’s drinking, a Trump transition official called the allegations “completely unfounded and false.”
With Republicans holding a 53 to 47 majority in the Senate next year, each of Trump’s nominees can afford to lose only three GOP votes if all Democrats vote no. That makes Hegseth’s path to confirmation extremely treacherous: As many as six Senate Republicans are not comfortable supporting Hegseth’s bid to lead the Pentagon, according to multiple GOP sources familiar with the process, and there may be more.
Still, Hegseth showed no signs of calling it quits on Wednesday. In the morning, Hegseth huddled with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in his committee office. Around noon, Hegseth met with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who was recently elected majority leader.
Hegseth also made the short walk across the Capitol to the House side to meet with members of the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus of conservatives on Capitol Hill (though House members don’t vote on executive branch nominees).
Later Wednesday, Hegseth was set to meet with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, an Iraq war veteran and sexual assault and domestic violence survivor whose name has been one of several floated to replace Hegseth should he bow out.
NBC News reported Tuesday night that Trump is considering replacing Hegseth amid the opposition to his nomination. Others whom Trump could tap to lead the Pentagon, sources familiar with the decision-making said, are Ernst; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a one-time primary rival who later endorsed Trump; Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Trump’s former ambassador to Japan; and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s current pick for national security adviser.
Trump has already seen one high-profile Cabinet pick drop out. Before the Thanksgiving break, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, another Florida Republican, dropped his bid to become Trump’s attorney general after running into opposition from GOP senators. And on Tuesday, Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff and Trump’s selection to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, said he was removing his name from consideration.
Lindsey Pipia, Kate Santaliz and Kyle Stewart contributed.