{"id":2376214,"date":"2024-12-04T11:59:02","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T16:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hegseth-tries-to-salvage-cabinet-nomination-amid-misconduct-allegations-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-12-04T11:59:49","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T16:59:49","slug":"hegseth-tries-to-salvage-cabinet-nomination-amid-misconduct-allegations-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hegseth-tries-to-salvage-cabinet-nomination-amid-misconduct-allegations-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth tries to salvage Cabinet nomination amid misconduct allegations &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhegseth-tries-to-salvage-cabinet-nomination-amid-misconduct-allegations-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2376214&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Pete Hegseth, President-elect \u2062Donald Trump&#8217;s nominee for secretary of Defence, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-on-the-brink-democrats-start-to-panic-about-whether-the-president-is-a-surefire-2024-winner\/\" title=\"Biden on the brink: Democrats start to panic about whether the president is a surefire 2024 winner\">facing \u200dsignificant challenges<\/a> to his confirmation\u200c amid growing allegations\u2062 of sexual misconduct and inappropriate \u200bbehavior. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has denied the accusations,\u2064 which include claims of drunken behavior at work and \u2062a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">2017 incident involving alleged sexual assault<\/a> at a GOP\u200b event in California, which he\u200b asserts was consensual.<\/p>\n<p>as he \u200bseeks to salvage his nomination,Hegseth is engaging in high-stakes meetings with key Senate Republicans to build support and address \u2064their concerns. Despite the controversies, he remains resolute, stating he \u2062will not withdraw his name from consideration and emphasizing his fighting spirit with remarks that he is there &#8220;for the fighters,&#8221; and\u2062 that Trump has\u200b encouraged him \u2064to\u200b persevere in the nomination \u200cprocess. \u200dHowever, the situation is \u200ddelicate as recent developments\u200b suggest that Senate Republican\u2062 support for his confirmation may be wavering.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Hegseth tries to salvage Cabinet nomination as misconduct allegations pile up<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1902487\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Pete Hegseth<\/a> will sit for a series of high-stakes meetings at the Capitol on Wednesday as he attempts to resuscitate his flagging nomination for President-elect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a>&lsquo;s defense secretary.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Hegseth is vowing not to withdraw his name as he faces allegations of sexual misconduct and drunken behavior at work, each of which he denied. He will meet with at least three senators critical in the confirmation process Wednesday, including incoming Senate Majority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD).<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Why would I back down? I&rsquo;ve always been a fighter. I&rsquo;m here for the fighters,&rdquo; he <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/alanhe\/status\/1864312506799308956?s=51&amp;t=oYTIYwEqmPpaQCOEPM8xZA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">told<\/a> CBS News as he arrived on Capitol Hill, adding that Trump personally told him to &ldquo;keep going.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Senate Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3238399\/trump-pentagon-pick-pete-hegseth-will-get-confirmed-sexual-assault-allegations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">initially signaled<\/a> that Hegseth, a longtime Fox News host, had a path to confirmation, downplaying a 2017 police report that alleged he committed sexual assault at a GOP event in California.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth maintains the encounter was consensual.<\/p>\n<p>However, his nomination is far more precarious today. In the last 72 hours, he has been forced to navigate a series of news reports that compound the sexual assault allegation, particularly a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-surgeon-general-calling-for-censorship-yet-again\/\" title=\"U.S. Surgeon General Calling for Censorship Yet Again\">newly surfaced email<\/a> from his mother in which she called him an &ldquo;abuser of women.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Separately, NBC News <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/national-security\/pete-hegseths-drinking-worried-colleagues-fox-news-sources-tell-nbc-ne-rcna181471\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reported<\/a> Tuesday that Hegseth&rsquo;s colleagues at Fox News were concerned about his drinking habits.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth&rsquo;s mother, Penelope Hegseth, appeared Wednesday morning on Fox News to make a direct appeal to the senators who will decide the fate of her son&rsquo;s nomination. She has expressed regret over the email sent during his 2018 divorce and has apologized to her son.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I just hope people will get to know who Pete is today, especially our dear female senators,&rdquo; she <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/atrupar\/status\/1864302139100557319?s=51&amp;t=oYTIYwEqmPpaQCOEPM8xZA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a>, calling her son a &ldquo;changed&rdquo; man.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I really hope that you will not listen to the media and that you will listen to Pete,&rdquo; she added.<\/p>\n<p>Pete Hegseth, too, is expected to appear Wednesday on Fox News. He left the Capitol after meeting with Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-recruiting-gop-senators-for-amnesty-deal\/\" title=\"Democrats Recruiting GOP Senators for Amnesty Deal\">incoming chairman<\/a> of the Senate Armed Services Committee, for the second time.<\/p>\n<p>Later, Pete Hegseth will meet with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), a veteran and survivor of sexual assault. She is among a number of possible replacements for Pete Hegseth should his nomination fall through.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s nominee for defense secretary, is joined by his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, left, as they arrive to meet with Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Republicans have said they will give Pete Hegseth the benefit of the doubt as he makes his rounds on Capitol Hill. Thune told reporters Wednesday, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to have an opportunity to address all the questions that have been raised.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However, Pete Hegseth is weathering a deep well of Republican resistance to his nomination. In a chamber they will control by three votes next year, even a few &ldquo;no&rdquo; votes could doom his prospects.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There are hard questions being raised, so he&rsquo;ll have to answer those,&rdquo; Thune added. &ldquo;And my assumption is throughout the process, he&rsquo;ll get that opportunity.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Already, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz has been forced to withdraw his nomination as Trump&rsquo;s attorney general in the face of similar opposition.<\/p>\n<p>The nominations of two other Cabinet picks, former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are also considered to be in jeopardy.<\/p>\n<p><em>Ramsey Touchberry contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1902487\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1902487\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hegseth seeks to save his Cabinet nomination amid misconduct claims<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2376215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pete-hegseth-senate-1024x591.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[44870,45173,46111,32076],"class_list":["post-2376214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cabinet-nomination","tag-hegseth","tag-misconduct-allegations","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pete-hegseth-senate-1024x591.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2376214"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2376218,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376214\/revisions\/2376218"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2376215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2376214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2376214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2376214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}