WASHINGTON — (AP) — A defiant Pete Hegseth fought to save his nomination to be Donald Trump’s defense secretary Wednesday as the president-elect considered possible replacements in the face of growing questions about the former Fox News host’s personal conduct and ability to win Senate confirmation.
Hegseth met with legislators on Capitol Hill, conducted a radio interview and released an opinion article denying allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking. He insisted he was "not backing down one bit," said Trump was still supporting him and planned to return Thursday for more meetings with lawmakers. But the president-elect's team was looking at alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Trump himself remained quiet about Hegseth while issuing a flurry of statements on social media Wednesday about other nominees and his news coverage.
Hegseth, in an exchange with reporters, said he'd meet with Trump “anytime he'd like."
Trump’s team was pleased with how things went Wednesday as Hegseth met with lawmakers, according to a person familiar with their thinking, and they are continuing to stand behind him for now -- all while Trump considers back-up options.
North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, who had previously expressed concerns about reports of Hegseth’s drinking, spoke positively about Hegseth's prospects after the two met Wednesday evening.
“I see no reason at this point not to be supportive," Cramer said.
He said he told Hegseth “it’s really important that we have a clear eyed secretary of defense if the alarm goes off or the phone rings at three in the morning.” Hegseth responded, according to Cramer, that he would be available “at three in the morning, three in the afternoon or any hour in between."
Hegseth is the latest nominee-designate to be imperiled by personal baggage after the recent withdrawal of Trump's initial pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose vulnerabilities were well-documented. But Hegseth's past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies, was not widely known.
The Trump transition team went into the day concerned about Hegseth’s path to Senate confirmation and actively looking at potential replacements, a person familiar with the matter said. Three other people said DeSantis, who competed against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, was being discussed as an option if Hegseth’s nomination does not move forward. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss internal deliberations.
Beyond DeSantis, there have also been discussions about shifting Michael Waltz, who was chosen by Trump for national security adviser, to the Defense Department, according to another person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Florida congressman is a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran.
As he made the rounds on Capitol Hill, Hegseth told reporters he had received a fresh message of support from Trump.
“I spoke to the president this morning. He supports me fully. We’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth said.
In an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, Hegseth laid out a vigorous defense of his record, including his time spent at two veterans advocacy groups, Concerned Veterans for America and Veterans For Freedom.
In new allegations this week, The New Yorker cited what it described as a whistleblower report and other documents about his time leading CVA that alleged multiple incidents of alcohol intoxication at work events, inappropriate behavior around female staffers and financial mismanagement.
Hegseth, in the op-ed, acknowledged spending too much money during the 2008 campaign in support of then-candidate John McCain, so that Veterans For Freedom went into debt. But he said he stayed on until all bills were paid. And he said his split from CVA was over a “difference of opinion” about the group's future.
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a military veteran and sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after her meeting with Hegseth. She said she appreciates his military service and they “had a frank and thorough conversation.”
The Trump transition team didn’t respond to requests for comment on Hegseth's status.
In an interview taped Wednesday for Megyn Kelly's SiriusXM satellite radio show, Hegseth said Trump told him he wanted a “warfighter” who would clean out the “woke crap.”
Citing his Capitol Hill meeting, Hegseth said, “No one has looked me in the eye and said, ‘I have concerns.'” He added, “We’re not backing down one bit.”
Hegseth paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault at a California hotel in 2017 after Hegseth had given a speech at a Republican event. His lawyer said the payment was to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit.
Asked by Kelly if he sexually assaulted the woman, Hegseth said “absolutely not.” He called it a “really unfortunate situation” and said he paid her because he “had to,” contending that her lawyers said they would “out him.”
He declined to reveal the amount paid, but said it was done to protect his wife, himself and his job.
He said it is a “fair characterization” to call him a serial cheater, who cheated on all three of his wives. “Was I a perfect man, absolutely not," he said.
Hegseth flatly denied having a drinking problem and said he wouldn’t drink while defense secretary, vowing, “I’m not going to have a drink at all.” He likened it to following the Pentagon’s general order No. 1, which prohibits troops from drinking while deployed.
GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who joined Hegseth in a meeting with House Republicans, defended the nominee and said: "All of us, at least all of us, have a time to grow up. We’re nominating Pete for who he is today, not for what he did seven years ago or five years ago or whatever it was.”
Cramer said Hegseth during their meeting acknowledged there were times that he drank too much, but that nothing improper happened.
He said Hegseth also denied aspects of the New Yorker report, including that he was drunk at a strip club with coworkers and tried to get up on the stage and dance.
Cramer said Hegseth told him “I’ve never been at a strip club in Louisiana intoxicated” and that he has “certainly never been on a stage, you know, in an intoxicated state.”
“I have no reason to doubt him any more than believe somebody else,” Cramer said.
Earlier, Hegseth's mother appeared on Fox News to address some of the allegations.
Penelope Hegseth, on “Fox & Friends,” discussed her son and a 2018 email she wrote him that was obtained by The New York Times, in which she confronted him about mistreating women after he impregnated his current wife while he was married to his second wife.
That letter followed multiple allegations, reported by The New Yorker this week, of questionable conduct around female staffers, in addition to the 2017 allegation.
On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said some of the reports were “disturbing,” telling CBS News that he wants to “make sure that every young woman that joins the military feels respected and welcomed.”
Penelope Hegseth implored the lawmakers to listen to her son and give him a chance.
“I think it can be overcome,” Penelope Hegseth said.
Hegseth is a former Fox News host and a former Army National Guard major and combat veteran who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. If confirmed by the Senate, he would lead a 2-million-member strong military — more than 17% of whom are female. The revelations have concerned some members of Congress.
Hegseth said in his interview that he doesn’t know how all this will turn out but is comfortable that he “took on the haters and the liars” and fought for it, adding, “the future’s in God’s hands.”
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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York, Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Mary Clare Jalonick, Lisa Mascaro and Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report. Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.