{"id":2376434,"date":"2024-12-04T19:56:01","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T00:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pete-hegseth-survives-another-day-with-cabinet-nomination-on-shaky-ground-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-12-04T19:57:22","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T00:57:22","slug":"pete-hegseth-survives-another-day-with-cabinet-nomination-on-shaky-ground-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pete-hegseth-survives-another-day-with-cabinet-nomination-on-shaky-ground-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Pete Hegseth survives another day with Cabinet nomination on shaky ground &#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\">28<\/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%2Fpete-hegseth-survives-another-day-with-cabinet-nomination-on-shaky-ground-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=2376434&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, nominated by President-elect\u200d donald Trump to \u200blead the Pentagon, is\u200b facing serious scrutiny in\u2064 the Senate due to \u2062allegations regarding his treatment of women and\u200c issues related to alcohol consumption.\u200b During a recent press conference, Hegseth stated he woudl \u200dnot withdraw his nomination and received Trump\u2019s support. However,\u2064 concerns\u200b linger \u2062as reports of past \u200cincidents, including a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/parallels-being-drawn-between-behavior-of-biden-and-cuomo\/\" title=\"Parallels being drawn between behavior of Biden and Cuomo\">sexual assault claim<\/a> he described as consensual, have resurfaced alongside new\u200d allegations about\u200c his drinking habits. <\/p>\n<p>hegseth defended himself against \u2062these accusations, likening them to the media&#8217;s treatment of Justice Brett kavanaugh during his\u200c Supreme \u200cCourt confirmation process. key Republican figures, including Vice President-elect J.D. Vance,\u200d have called for \u200da\u2062 fair confirmation hearing for Hegseth, even as \u2064several senators expressed serious doubts about his nomination\u2019s viability. Prominent senators, such as Lisa Murkowski and Susan \u2063collins, indicated they \u2064would need to hear clarifications from Hegseth regarding\u200b the\u200c allegations.<\/p>\n<p>While some senators \u2062believe Hegseth should be given a chance to prove his competence, others are cautious, noting the importance \u200cof the\u2063 allegations in \u2062assessing his capability \u2064to lead \u2063the department of\u2062 Defence. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-u-s-citizens-trapped-by-taliban-in-kabul-as-state-department-demands-foreign-nationals-be-allowed-to-leave\/\" title=\"Report: U.S. Citizens Trapped By Taliban In Kabul As State Department Demands Foreign Nationals Be Allowed To Leave\">situation remains fluid<\/a>, with indications\u2062 that alternative candidates are \u2062being considered should hegseth\u2019s nomination falter. Ultimately, the Senate&#8217;s evaluation of Hegseth&#8217;s \u2063qualifications and character will play a critical role in his confirmation process.  <\/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\">Pete Hegseth survives another day with Cabinet nomination on shaky ground<\/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_1903196\" 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>, President-elect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a>&rsquo;s embattled pick to lead the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pentagon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Pentagon\">Pentagon<\/a>, attempted to shore up support for his nomination on Wednesday as allegations about his treatment of women and drinking habits continue to raise concern in the Senate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Speaking to reporters in between meetings on Capitol Hill, Hegseth vowed not to withdraw his name from consideration and said that Trump is still supporting his nomination.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I spoke to the president this morning. He supports me fully. We&rsquo;re not going anywhere,&rdquo; Hegseth said leaving a meeting with incoming Senate Majority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, who was also at the Capitol visiting with senators, urged his former colleagues to hold a &ldquo;fair hearing&rdquo; for Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think Pete Hegseth deserves a fair hearing by the Senate, not a sham hearing from the American media,&rdquo; Vance told the <em>Washington Examiner.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Hegseth already had been facing accusations of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3237208\/police-report-reveals-details-pete-hegseth-assault-claim\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">sexual assault<\/a> stemming from a 2017 incident that he said was consensual. However, in the last 72 hours, fresh allegations came to light involving <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=\"\">alcohol abuse<\/a>, as well as an email from his mother in which she said her son &ldquo;belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Penelope Hegseth acknowledged sending the email to her son during his 2018 divorce in an interview on Fox News but said it was at a time of &ldquo;deep emotion&rdquo; and that she sent an apology email two hours later.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s redeemed, forgiven, changed. I think we all are after seven years,&rdquo; she said in the interview.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Doubts about whether Hegseth could have the necessary support to be confirmed grew more apparent following reports that Trump has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3249215\/trump-considering-nominating-desantis-defense-secretary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">begun floating backup nominees<\/a><\/a> such as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not 100% clear to me who he wants as his secretary of defense right now,&rdquo; said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), speaking to reporters on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with Megyn Kelly on SiriusXM radio, Hegseth dismissed the allegations against him as lies created by enemies of Trump, comparing it to accusations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is the classic art of the smear,&rdquo; Hegseth said. &ldquo;Take whatever tiny kernels of truth &mdash; and there are tiny, tiny ones in there &mdash; and blow them up into a masquerade of a narrative about somebody that I am definitely not.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He made a similar case in an<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/ive-faced-fire-before-i-wont-back-down-writes-pete-hegseth-defense-secretary-19433fa4?_nlid=6PuvRDKd2N&amp;_nhids=8z4YczzNgz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"> op-ed<\/a> in the <em>Wall Street Journal <\/em>on Wednesday, writing that &ldquo;I look forward to an honest confirmation hearing with our distinguished senators &mdash; not a show trial in the press.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Thune refused to predict whether Hegseth&rsquo;s nomination will make it through the Senate, but said &ldquo;he articulates a good vision, a strong vision for the Department of Defense.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s obviously an experienced veteran, combat veteran, so he brings a lot of experience about what the warfighters&rsquo; needs are and how to keep America ready for the potential battles of the future,&rdquo; Thune said.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Hegseth told him in a Wednesday morning meeting that he won&rsquo;t drink if he&rsquo;s confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s probably a good idea,&rdquo; Wicker said, telling the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that he thought Hegseth should not withdraw his nomination.<\/p>\n<p>While many Republican senators won&rsquo;t openly admit Hegseth&rsquo;s nomination is in a precarious place, most agree that Hegseth has explaining to do.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would like to hear from him about many of the allegations that you all have been reporting. So, yeah, I have a lot of questions,&rdquo; said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a critical swing vote.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), another centrist senator, said she plans on meeting with Hegseth &ldquo;probably next week.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I have a lot of questions both in defense policy and elsewhere,&rdquo; Collins told reporters.<\/p>\n<p>Several GOP senators have called the allegations against Hegseth &ldquo;serious&rdquo; but have also emphasized he deserves a chance to prove himself.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The allegations are very, very serious. They can&rsquo;t be trivialized,&rdquo; said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND). &ldquo;I just want to know if he&rsquo;s going to be redeemed and if going forward he&rsquo;s going to be better.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think the mood of the conference is they are pretty serious, serious about it and serious about how these things affect his ability to do the job, the ability of the troops to look up to him,&rdquo; Cramer added, while also stressing he believes Hegseth at the helm of the Pentagon would be a &ldquo;breath of fresh air.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) denied accusations <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/floridanow1\/status\/1864299281311506932\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">from allies within Trump&rsquo;s orbit<\/a> that he is working alongside Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) to sink Hegseth&rsquo;s nomination.&nbsp;Ernst is thought to be among the possible replacements for Hegseth should his nomination fall through.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;People say a lot of things. I don&rsquo;t know what they are talking about. I like Pete, I&rsquo;ve known him a long time. You know the allegations he&rsquo;s gonna have to address,&rdquo; Graham told reporters.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth also <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Acyn\/status\/1864403376613806516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">denied<\/a> that he was going to meet with Trump on Thursday, as was <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/pkcapitol\/status\/1864385707856343376\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reported<\/a> earlier in the day.<\/p>\n<p>A major test for Hegseth&rsquo;s nomination came on Wednesday when he met with Ernst, a combat veteran who has been vocal about being sexually assaulted herself.&nbsp;She is also an advocate of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-pentagon-pick-pete-hegseth-will-get-confirmed-despite-allegations-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trump\u2019s Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth &#039;will get confirmed&#039; despite allegations - Washington Examiner\">preventing military sexual assault<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ernst.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/ernst-helps-lead-new-bipartisan-effort-to-prevent-military-sexual-assault-hold-perpetrators-accountable\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">has sponsored bipartisan legislation<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/josh-hawley-and-kirsten-gillibrand-are-teaming-up-to-improve-the-militarys-response-to-sexual-assault\/\" title=\"Josh Hawley And Kirsten Gillibrand Are Teaming Up To Improve The Military\u2019s Response to Sexual Assault\">hold perpetrators accountable<\/a>. The Iowa Republican did not tip her hand as to how she&rsquo;d vote following her meeting.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It was a very frank and thorough conversation,&rdquo; she said, while also declining to answer questions about her name being floated to replace Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), who is leaving at the end of the year to become the governor of Indiana, admitted that it would be difficult for Hegseth to address the looming problem of sexual assault in the military when he&rsquo;s faced similar allegations himself.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That would be difficult, maybe, kind of trying to get through something like that when that&rsquo;s the main thing that&rsquo;s coming at you,&rdquo; Braun said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Some of Trump&rsquo;s allies on Capitol Hill privately acknowledged they feared Trump&rsquo;s discussions with DeSantis had given Republicans more flexibility to criticize and question Hegseth&rsquo;s viability. 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 had a path to confirmation, downplaying the reports of sexual assault.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The situation appears to have changed following the latest reporting, with senators offering a more measured assessment of his nomination.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like to give up on stuff, but sometimes when you&rsquo;re climbing a mountain so steep you&rsquo;re going to probably slide back. In this case, it looks like Pete&rsquo;s going to persist, but you never know when something does go a different direction,&rdquo; Braun said.<\/p>\n<p>Trump can only afford three defections within the Senate Republican conference to get his picks confirmed, as the GOP will hold a 53-seat majority come January. One of Trump&rsquo;s picks, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who was nominated to become attorney general, withdrew from consideration after Senate Republicans expressed concerns. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister was also nominated to serve as head of the Drug Enforcement Administration but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3249845\/trump-clarifies-why-pick-for-dea-backed-out\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"withdrew from consideration \">withdrew from consideration <\/a>earlier this week.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Democrats are taking a victory lap, with some already considering Hegseth&rsquo;s nomination to be &ldquo;doomed.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would be very surprised if we are still talking about Pete Hegseth next Monday, even by the end of the week,&rdquo; said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve talked to five to 10 Republicans who have said to me they are just waiting for the right moment to say &lsquo;no&rsquo; to Pete Hegseth,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Others, such as Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), said he&rsquo;d be more inclined to support DeSantis to become head of the Department of Defense, if he should be nominated to replace Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a governor of one of our biggest states, he served in Congress, he served in the military, he has what you would look at on paper as the requisite kind of experience you&rsquo;d want in a secretary of defense,&rdquo; Kelly said.<\/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_1903196\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1903196\"}});<\/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>Pete Hegseth&#8217;s Cabinet nomination remains uncertain amid allegations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3566,"featured_media":2376435,"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\/AP24339634888685-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[44870,45026,44930,32603,32076],"class_list":["post-2376434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cabinet-nomination","tag-government-appointments","tag-pete-hegseth","tag-political-news","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/AP24339634888685-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376434","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\/3566"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2376434"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2376442,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376434\/revisions\/2376442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2376435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2376434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2376434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2376434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}