As defense secretary, Hegseth would be in charge of all four branches of the U.S. military, making decisions affecting over 2 million service members, thousands of civilian employees, the families of all involved, and every government in the world. Vetting someone for that position is Trump’s responsibility.
Since Hegseth’s nomination became public, reporting has uncovered several scandals connected to the former Fox News host. Hegseth has been accused of rape (he was not charged), sexual assault, mismanaging funds, and public drunkenness.
One of the more damaging stories that emerged was a letter from Hegseth’s mother published by the Times where she accused him of abusing women.
As part of an attempt to salvage his nomination, Penelope Hegseth appeared on “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday and made a direct appeal to Trump to stand by her son.
“I want to say thank you for your belief in my son. We all believe in him, we really believe that he is not that man he was seven years ago—I’m not that mother and I hope people will hear that story today,” she said.
Fox News viewers who rely on the network as their primary source of information would be surprised to know about the controversies surrounding Hegseth because the conservative outlet has ignored the information for days.
While at the Capitol on Wednesday morning meeting with senators, Hegseth told reporters, “I spoke to the president elect this morning. He said, keep going, keep fighting. Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter.”
Despite the damaging details of Hegseth’s past, some Senate Republicans have continued expressing their support for his nomination. Responding to allegations of drunkenness and mistreatment of women, Texas Sen. John Cornyn told reporters, “That would not be novel in Washington, D.C.”
Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said, “Are soldiers sometimes wild childs? Yeah, that can happen, but it is very clear that this guy is the guy who, at a time when Americans were losing confidence in their own military, in our ability to project strength around the world, Pete Hegseth is the answer to that concern.”
By contrast, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, “There’s more evidence by the day that he seems to be unfit to be secretary of Defense.”
Like the failed nomination of Matt Gaetz to be attorney general, where reports of alleged sex with minors and a sex trafficking investigation emerged, Trump has failed to vet a candidate for a position affecting millions of Americans.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with Hegseth’s comments ahead of Wednesday’s meeting with Republican senators.
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