Trump may replace Hegsett with DeSantis as defense secretary: report

Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary says he still has the president-elect’s support amid reports his candidacy could be in jeopardy amid allegations of misconduct.

Trump is considering replacing Pete Hegsett with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, BBC affiliate CBS News reported after Hegsett’s nomination came under intense scrutiny.

Since Trump nominated the former Fox News host, questions have been raised about Hegsett’s qualifications and a historic sexual assault allegation has surfaced.

Hegseth has denied wrongdoing and has never been arrested or charged.

Speaking to CBS on Wednesday, Hegseth did not directly address the DeSantis reports and said he had spoken to Trump before.

“He said ‘keep going, keep fighting.’ I’m behind you all the way,” Hegseth said.

In a post on X on Wednesday morning, Hegsett accused the “left” of trying to smear him with “fake” stories.

His candidacy is increasingly being scrutinized by members of his own party, including U.S. senators, who have the power to confirm or deny his nomination when asked to vote on it.

“I think some of these articles are very troubling,” Sen. Lindsey Graham told CBS on Tuesday. “He obviously has a chance to defend here, but some of these things are going to be difficult.”

DeSantis, who was elected governor of Florida in 2018, did not respond to a request for comment. A Trump spokesman declined to say whether DeSantis was being considered for the job.

DeSantis ran against Trump in the Republican primary and, before dropping out, was seen by some as “Trump 2.0,” a Republican who could carry Trump’s populist agenda without the baggage.

The latest speculation, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as Hegseth meets with members of Congress this week to discuss the job and offer support.

A graduate of Princeton and Harvard universities, Hegsett served as an infantry platoon leader at Guantanamo Bay and Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

In nominating Hegseth, who is also a former Fox News anchor, Trump emphasized the former soldier’s education and his military experience in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“With Pitt at the helm, America’s enemies are on guard – our military will be great again and America will never back down,” Trump wrote.

But even as a veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, the 44-year-old does not have the breadth of experience typical of a cabinet position. He would also be the second youngest person to work in the office.

Additionally, since his nomination, a police report detailing allegations of alleged sexual abuse in 2017 has emerged.

The woman cited in the complaint said Hegsett, then a Fox host, took her phone and locked the door to her hotel room at a Republican convention in California.

Hegseth denies any wrongdoing, saying the meeting was consensual.

Some of Hegsett’s past comments about how he might change the Defense Department have also raised eyebrows.

In a recent podcast, Hegsett said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — the top military leader in the U.S. — should be fired, as well as any military leader “involved in any of the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) woke (expressions).”

He also argued that women should not serve in combat because the practice has not made the military more “effective” or “deadlier.”

Skepticism is growing about Hegsett’s chances of getting enough votes to be confirmed by the Senate, CBS reports.

At least four Republican senators would likely vote against him if they were to vote today, two sources told the news outlet.

Republicans are expected to hold a 53-seat majority in the Senate, which must confirm cabinet-level positions in Trump’s new team. A loss of four Republican votes would be enough to sink Hegsett’s candidacy if Democrats and independents also vote against him.

Some Washington lawmakers have questioned Hegsett’s authority to oversee the complex bureaucracy in the job to which he has been appointed.

“I admit I didn’t know who he was until 20 minutes ago,” said Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. “And he certainly has no experience in (Defense Department) policy.”

John Bolton, who served as national security adviser during Trump’s first presidency, told the BBC that the position of defense secretary should never be a “loyalty appointment”.

“The question is: Will he be a yes man for Donald Trump, or will he conduct himself with the same professionalism and courage that he did when he was in uniform?” Bolton asked.

Hegseth is not Trump’s first controversial appointment before he returns to the White House.

Former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, who Trump nominated for US attorney general, also faced allegations of sexual misconduct against him, which he denied, and which were the subject of a congressional report.

Goetz eventually withdrew his candidacy in late November, saying the controversy against him was an “unfair distraction” from the work of the incoming Trump administration.