Hegseth Back On The Hill As Pentagon Bid Teeters

Pete Hegseth, Trump's embattled pick to run the Pentagon, is back on Capitol Hill today as his nomination faces even more hurdles.

Concerns over Hegseth's personal controversies are driving Trump allies to think the Defense secretary designate may not survive further scrutiny. And his fight has been complicated even more by the news that the president-elect is weighing a rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, to replace Hegseth, The Wall Street Journal was first to report. DeSantis, a former opponent in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries, offers a conservative military record and alignment with Trump’s views on “woke” military policies.

Hegseth — who has faced allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse — is expected to meet today with Republicans including incoming Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and the next majority leader, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.).

Hegseth’s most crucial meeting, though, is expected to be with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a Senate Armed Services member who has been noncommittal about Hegseth’s nomination and is seen as a potential swing vote.

Ernst was previously floated as a potential pick for defense secretary before Trump opted for Hegseth, though she was seen as a dark horse candidate. The Iowa Republican is a traditional defense hawk, clashing somewhat with the Trump team’s views. There may also be a political divide to bridge for Ernst -- who took until March to endorse Trump’s 2024 White House bid after the former president nearly swept the Republican primaries and was on a path to clinch the GOP nomination.

Ernst, the first woman combat veteran in the Senate, has a long track record of legislation aimed at addressing sexual assault and harassment in the military. That would seem to put her at odds with Hegseth, who is not only the subject of sexual assault allegations but opposes women serving in combat roles.

Ernst has also been outspoken about her own experiences with sexual assault and domestic violence. Asked about the sexual assault accusations against Hegseth, she's said: “Any time there are allegations, you want to make sure they are properly vetted, so we’ll have that discussion.”

Though seen as a wildcard, Ernst may need to align herself more with Trump ahead of her reelection bid. She embraced a Trump effort to find ways to slash government spending, co-led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy and founded a Senate DOGE Caucus to work with their so-called Department of Government Efficiency to find cuts.

When asked Tuesday about Ernst, several of her Democratic colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee said she would be easily confirmed, but it wasn’t clear she would be an attractive selection for Trump.

Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) called Ernst “superbly qualified.”

“She's a combat veteran herself, her daughter’s a graduate from West Point, so she had the vested interest in the military, and she is someone who's been a very substantial contributor to the committee,” Reed said. “She understands significantly the dynamics of policy, what has to be done and what are the challenges.”

A Trump ally on the panel, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) batted down the suggestion Ernst or anyone else was in contention besides Hegseth.

“President Trump has just won a historic election, he won all the battleground states and the popular vote,” Schmitt said. “He’s got a right to pick who he wants to lead the Department of Defense, and I think that Pete Hegseth right now is in a pretty strong position.”

Hegseth will also call on Sen. Kevin Cramer, an Armed Services member who says Hegseth has some explaining to do.

“We absolutely cannot have a secretary of defense that gets drunk on a regular basis … I got to know that he’s got that problem licked,” Cramer was quoted by The Washington Post saying. “I’ve seen public statements to that effect and if he reassures me that’s the case then I’m satisfied with it.”

Hegseth is also expected to visit with members of the House Republican Study Committee, the GOP’s largest conservative caucus in the lower chamber.

A transition spokesperson denied Hegseth’s nomination was on thin ice.

“Pete’s meetings on the Hill have been going well,” said the spokesperson. “He’s received great feedback and has had excellent conversations in his meetings, with members hearing Pete's priorities and asking important questions, and everyone beginning the work of building partnerships to ensure the strongest Department of Defense our nation's ever seen.”

“He’s going to continue visiting Senators as part of the advise and consent process and will work to earn their votes. Any anonymous source reporting isn’t based on fact,” the spokesperson added.

Hegseth appeared dug in Wednesday in a post ahead of his Capitol Hill meetings.

"I’m doing this for the warfighters, not the warmongers," Hegseth posted on X. "The Left is afraid of disrupters and change agents. They are afraid of ‪@realDonaldTrump‬—and me. So they smear w/ fake, anonymous sources & BS stories. They don’t want truth. Our warriors never back down, & neither will I."

Pete Hegseth, Trump's embattled pick to run the Pentagon, is back on Capitol Hill today as his nomination faces even more hurdles.

Concerns over Hegseth's personal controversies are driving Trump allies to think the Defense secretary designate may not survive further scrutiny. And his fight has been complicated even more by the news that the president-elect is weighing a rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, to replace Hegseth, The Wall Street Journal was first to report. DeSantis, a former opponent in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries, offers a conservative military record and alignment with Trump’s views on “woke” military policies.

Hegseth — who has faced allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse — is expected to meet today with Republicans including incoming Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and the next majority leader, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.).

Hegseth’s first meeting, though, is expected to be with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a Senate Armed Services member who has been noncommittal about Hegseth’s nomination and is seen as a potential swing vote.

Ernst was previously floated as a potential pick for defense secretary before Trump opted for Hegseth, though she was seen as a dark horse candidate. The Iowa Republican is a traditional defense hawk, clashing somewhat with the Trump team’s views. There may also be a political divide to bridge for Ernst -- who took until March to endorse Trump’s 2024 White House bid after the former president nearly swept the Republican primaries and was on a path to clinch the GOP nomination.

Ernst, the first woman combat veteran in the Senate, has a long track record of legislation aimed at addressing sexual assault and harassment in the military. That would seem to put her at odds with Hegseth, who is not only the subject of sexual assault allegations but opposes women serving in combat roles.

Ernst has also been outspoken about her own experiences with sexual assault and domestic violence. Asked about the sexual assault accusations against Hegseth, she's said: “Any time there are allegations, you want to make sure they are properly vetted, so we’ll have that discussion.”

Though seen as a wildcard, Ernst may need to align herself more with Trump ahead of her reelection bid. She embraced a Trump effort to find ways to slash government spending, co-led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy and founded a Senate DOGE Caucus to work with their so-called Department of Government Efficiency to find cuts.

When asked Tuesday about Ernst, several of her Democratic colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee said she would be easily confirmed, but it wasn’t clear she would be an attractive selection for Trump.

Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) called Ernst “superbly qualified.”

“She's a combat veteran herself, her daughter’s a graduate from West Point, so she had the vested interest in the military, and she is someone who's been a very substantial contributor to the committee,” Reed said. “She understands significantly the dynamics of policy, what has to be done and what are the challenges.”

A Trump ally on the panel, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) batted down the suggestion Ernst or anyone else was in contention besides Hegseth.

“President Trump has just won a historic election, he won all the battleground states and the popular vote,” Schmitt said. “He’s got a right to pick who he wants to lead the Department of Defense, and I think that Pete Hegseth right now is in a pretty strong position.”

Hegseth will also call on Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), an Armed Services member who says Hegseth has some explaining to do.

“We absolutely cannot have a secretary of defense that gets drunk on a regular basis … I got to know that he’s got that problem licked,” Cramer was quoted by The Washington Post saying. “I’ve seen public statements to that effect and if he reassures me that’s the case then I’m satisfied with it.”

Hegseth is also expected to visit with members of the House Republican Study Committee, the GOP’s largest conservative caucus in the lower chamber.

A transition spokesperson denied Hegseth’s nomination was on thin ice.

“Pete’s meetings on the Hill have been going well,” said the spokesperson. “He’s received great feedback and has had excellent conversations in his meetings, with members hearing Pete's priorities and asking important questions, and everyone beginning the work of building partnerships to ensure the strongest Department of Defense our nation's ever seen.”

“He’s going to continue visiting Senators as part of the advise and consent process and will work to earn their votes. Any anonymous source reporting isn’t based on fact,” the spokesperson added.

Hegseth appeared dug in Wednesday in a post ahead of his Capitol Hill meetings.

"I’m doing this for the warfighters, not the warmongers," Hegseth posted on X. "The Left is afraid of disrupters and change agents. They are afraid of ‪@realDonaldTrump‬—and me. So they smear w/ fake, anonymous sources & BS stories. They don’t want truth. Our warriors never back down, & neither will I."