WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said he is not backing down even as his nomination to lead the Pentagon faces trouble in Congress over allegations about his personal and professional life.
“I’m doing this for the warfighters, not the warmongers. 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,” the Fox News host and former soldier wrote in a post on X.
On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump was reconsidering his choice and may instead nominate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The New York Times and the Bulwark also reported the reconsideration.
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican military veteran, is also among the names under consideration to replace Hegseth, CNN reported on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, NBC News cited 10 current and former Fox employees in its report on Tuesday that Hegseth’s drinking of alcohol concerned co-workers at the television network, including showing up at work smelling of alcohol and talking about being hung over.
Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A DeSantis representative did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s Cabinet-level nominees must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, which his fellow Republicans will control by a 53-47 margin when he takes office Jan. 20.
Hegseth has been meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week in an effort to bolster his nomination.
At least one top Trump ally, Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, on Tuesday called the allegations against Hegseth “very disturbing,” and that some of them are “going to be difficult,” according to media reports.
So far, two of the president-elect’s choices — Chad Chronister for Drug Enforcement Administration and Matt Gaetz for U.S. attorney general — have dropped out.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Steve Holland; Editing by Scott Malone and Nick Zieminski)
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