The US president-elect stands by his pick for defense secretary despite scandal and allegations of misconduct.
United States President-elect Donald Trump has voiced support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled pick for Pentagon chief, whose nomination appears in peril amid scandals and concerns about his lack of experience.
Trump signalled on Friday that he does not intend to withdraw Hegseth’s nomination, heaping praise on the combat veteran and former Fox News host. As Trump’s pick to be secretary of defense, Hegseth, like other top cabinet picks, needs to be confirmed by the incoming Senate.
“Pete Hegseth is doing very well. 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,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
“He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!”
Hegseth — an Iran hawk — has been beset by controversy since Trump nominated him last month. He continues to face allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking, which he has denied.
Some US media outlets reported this week that Trump was considering alternatives to Hegseth.
Scandals have already taken down another Trump cabinet pick: former Congressman Matt Gatz, who withdrew his nomination for attorney general last month amid allegations of sexual impropriety.
The nomination of Hegseth, who is a staunch supporter of Israel, to be the top civilian authority at the Pentagon, overseeing the world’s most powerful military with an annual budget of $850bn, raised eyebrows early on.
While Hegseth previously led the advocacy group Concerned Veterans for America, he has no executive-level national security experience.
On Friday, Hegseth expressed gratitude for Trump’s support. “Thank you Mr. President. Like you, we will never back down,” he wrote in a social media post.
Incoming Vice President JD Vance also paid a nod to Hegseth. “Led by President Trump, we’re fighting for Pete Hegseth. And we’re doing so because Pete Hegseth will fight for our troops,” Vance said in a post on X.
Hegseth has been meeting with senators on Capitol Hill this week to address their concerns and reiterate that he denies reports of misconduct.
Key Republican Senator Joni Ernst suggested in an interview with Fox News that she is not yet ready to confirm Hegseth after meeting with him this week.
Last week, the magazine The New Yorker published a damning report on Hegseth’s controversies. It cited complaints from Concerned Veterans for America employees, one of whom claimed that Hegseth drunkenly chanted “Kill all Muslims” at a bar in Ohio in 2015.
The allegations prompted the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) to call on senators to reject the nomination of Hegseth.
“Based on his current views and past actions, it is clear Mr. Hegseth is totally inappropriate as a nominee for secretary of defense,” CAIR’s executive director, Nihad Awad, said in a statement.
“Anyone who — even in a drunken state — would call for the slaughter of all members of a faith has disqualified himself from holding an important position that would inevitably interact with representatives of Muslim-majority nations.”