policy
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald TrumpU.S. Defense Secretary-elect Pete Hegseth spent a second day on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, meeting privately with Republican senators as questions grew about his ability to effectively lead the Pentagon.
Hegseth told reporters he plans to sit down down with senators, including those that could also be skeptical of his nomination.
“We will meet with any senator from any area who wants to meet with us,” Hegseth said as he walked from office to office on Tuesday. “And we welcome their advice as we go through the consultation process.”
Trump named the Fox News co-host, who served within the Army National Guard, as his defense secretary, which is usually among the many first Cabinet posts considered for confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
But Hegseth is facing questions amid an allegation of sexual assault, which he has denied, and other emerging reports about his work behavior and past.
GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said among the reports were “disturbing.”
“I want to make sure that every young woman who joins the military feels respected and welcomed,” Graham told CBS News.
The South Carolina lawmaker later told the AP that he didn't know whether to consider the allegations, and Hegseth “has a chance to say that's true or not.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he has seen the reports. “I will get the opportunity to speak to him and I am sure he will take it up,” he said. “But I believe that people should make their voices heard.”
Trump recruits from the ranks of loyalists to fill his administration and Cabinet positions, often surprising Washington with unusual decisions which can be provocative and test the senators who’re then asked to make them as a part of the recommendation and consent role to be confirmed by the Chamber.
Matt Gaetz, the previous Florida congressman, was one in every of the early candidates and abruptly withdrew from consideration when it became clear that Senate support was crumbling. The House of Representatives faced an ethics investigation into sexual misconduct against Gaetz, who was investigated but never charged in a federal sex trafficking investigation.
Trump's decisions can only afford to lose some critics within the Senate, where majority approval is required to be confirmed. Republicans could have a 53-seat majority in the brand new 12 months, meaning 4 GOP votes could sink a candidate if all Democrats oppose it.
Republican senators have been weighing their options. There were private discussions amongst senators in regards to the allegations and methods to handle the situation, in keeping with an individual granted anonymity to debate the private conversations.
During a closed session with a few dozen senators late Monday evening, nobody asked Hegseth in regards to the allegations against him.
“You know what? The American people care about restoring our military,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said after the meeting. He called the criticism of Hegseth “shameful.”
While Republican senators have been hesitant to ask questions publicly – and a few have flatly denied the reports – a lot of them suggested he could face tough questions in a confirmation hearing.
“That’s what the trial is for,” said Rep. John Curtis of Utah, a freshman senator.
The questions on Hegseth and other nominees are: “Why a background check is important, why a committee investigation is critical,” said Maine Sen. Susan Collins.
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said after meeting with Hegseth on Monday that he strongly supports the nomination.
But Tuberville said of the allegations: “If it goes to a certain extent, people won't vote to confirm him.”
Hegseth, 44, co-hosted Fox News Channel's “Fox and Friends Weekend” and had been an worker of the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Trump, who appeared usually on the show.
Hegseth served within the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deployed to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011, and received two Bronze Stars. He lacks senior military and national security experience and would oversee global crises from Europe to the Middle East.
A girl told police she was sexually assaulted by Hegseth in 2017 after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, in keeping with a recently released detailed investigative report.
Hegseth told police on the time that the encounter was consensual and denied any wrongdoing.
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