The choice through President-elect Trump Pete Hegseth, who heads the Defense Department, appears to be on track to win enough Republican Senate support to be confirmed, despite a handful of allegations ranging from sexual assault, excessive drinking and mismanagement of funds, all of which he has denied.
A Republican senator told Fox News Digital that they were not aware of any Republican senators who have a “hard no” on Hegseth’s confirmation.
Hegseth “certainly” not It appears he is in a position where he feels pressured to withdraw, she added.
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Pete Hegseth heads to a meeting with Senator Ted Budd, R-N.C., in the Russell Building on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. (Tom Williams/Getty Images)
This is very different from the landscape for former lawmaker Matt Gaetz, Trump’s previous nominee for attorney general, who faced several final “no” votes from senators.
Faced with the significant lack of support openly embraced behind closed doors, Gaetz withdrew from the process just days after being selected.
Republicans will have a 53-47 majority in the next Senate, and there is only room for Trump nominees to lose a few Republican votes, assuming no Democrats choose to support them.
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Gaetz withdrew from the confirmation process. (Reuters)
However, as the Republican senator pointed out, Hegseth does not appear to have lost any Republicans in the House at this point, including more moderate lawmakers like Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
Hegseth met with both of them on Capitol Hill this week. According to Collins, “I had a good substantive conversation that lasted well over an hour.”
“We discussed a wide range of topics ranging from defense procurement reforms to the role of women in the military, sexual violence in the military. Ukraine, NATO, a wide range of issues. “Obviously, I always wait until we have an FBI background check and there is an ongoing case in Mr. Hegseth’s case, and I’ll wait for the committee hearing before I make a final decision.”
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Collins met Hegseth over a long period of time. (Mark Makkel)
Murkowski declined to discuss her meeting with Hegseth, a former Fox News host, when asked by reporters.
Trump’s choice of Defense Secretary has also happened twice Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. After their first meeting earlier this month, Ernst admitted on Fox News that she wasn’t sold on Hegseth yet. But after their second meeting this week, she released a statement saying, “While I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on the truth, not anonymous sources.”
Ernst and Hegseth met twice. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Notably, Ernst is the first female combat veteran ever elected to the Senate and also serves on the Armed Services Committee. She is also a survivor of sexual assault, which Hegseth has been accused of but denied.
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The changing tide, apparently in favor of Hegseth’s confirmation, was articulated to reporters by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. “You can feel the difference this week compared to last week,” he said.
“Kash (Patel) won’t have a problem. Tulsi (Gabbard) won’t have a problem. People are going to ask the questions they should ask, but they will be confirmed,” he added of other, somewhat controversial Trump picks.
