Republican senators expressed confidence in Army veteran Pete Hegseth’s confirmation as the incoming Trump administration’s defense secretary after meeting with him on Thursday.
Hegseth, along with Vice President-Elect Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), met with Republican Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Senators indicated that 2017 allegations of a sexual assault — that ended in no charges and that Hegseth has said stemmed from a consensual sexual encounter — would not derail his confirmation.
In a statement, Barrasso, who will soon be the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said:
Pete Hegseth is a strong nominee to lead the Department of Defense. We had an excellent discussion about the need for America’s military to remain the best in the world. That means taking care of our service members, equipping them with the latest technology, and focusing on making our military the most lethal force on the planet. Pete pledged that the Pentagon will focus on strength and hard power – not the current administration’s woke political agenda.
National security nominations have a history of quick confirmations in the Senate. I look forward to Pete’s hearing and a vote on the floor in January.
He also posted on X:
I enjoyed visiting with @PeteHegseth this morning.
Pete is a strong nominee to lead the @DeptofDefense. We had an excellent discussion about the need for America’s military to remain the best in the world.
I look forward to Pete’s hearing and a vote in the Senate in January.
Blackburn tweeted:
I just met with Vice President-Elect Vance and Secretary of Defense Nominee Pete Hegseth.
Pete is a warrior, an advocate for veterans, and a well qualified nominee. He will put our enemies on notice and make our military great again.
Mullin re-posted an interview he did with reporters where he told them:
He’s perfect. He’s a decorated combat veteran. He’s got two bronze stars, 20 years of service. He retired as a major, and he’s a civilian. … I think he is perfect for the position.
He added, “I don’t think he has any weaknesses. I think he is very talented, and there’s a reason why President Trump trusts him. I think as he goes through this process you’re going to hear more and more about the actual what took place, and you guys will find out the guy’s a solid, solid individual. He’s the right man for the job.”
Mullin also posted:
As I’ve said, I trust President Trump’s judgement on picking the best cabinet nominees to serve in his administration, and @SenateGOP will process these nominees quickly. Earlier today, I visited with decorated combat vet @PeteHegseth, and look forward to getting him confirmed.
Hagerty posted:
Today I had an outstanding meeting with Pete Hegseth, a decorated combat veteran who put his own life on the line for America. (1/3)
Pete knows that the Defense Secretary’s job is to empower the men and women of our military to carry out their patriotic duty, not consign them to serve as political pawns in a broken Washington. (2/3)
A great choice by @realDonaldTrump to change Washington, and I look forward to supporting his confirmation. (3/3)
According to The Hill, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said he had no concerns about Hegseth and thought he would “do a great job.”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said the sexual assault allegations need “to go through the confirmation process, and let Pete — and these other folks — let them answer this stuff, you know, give them their day.” He added that Hegseth “denies it, he says there’s been no wrongdoing. But let’s hear from him.”
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