After Thursday's meeting, Republican senators expressed confidence that Army veteran Pete Hegseth will be confirmed as the incoming Trump administration's defense secretary.
Mr. Hegseth will be joined by Vice President-elect Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), as well as Republican Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Markwayne Mullin (R-TN). -Oklahoma), Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Eric Schmidt (R-MO), and Roger Wicker (R-MI).
Senators said the 2017 sexual assault allegation, which was not prosecuted and which Hegseth claimed resulted from consensual sexual contact, would not derail confirmation.
Barrasso, who will soon become the No. 2 Senate Republican, said in a statement:
Pete Hegseth is a strong candidate to lead the Department of Defense. We had great discussions about the need for America's military to remain the best in the world. That means focusing on taking care of our service members, equipping them with the latest technology, and making our military the most lethal force on the planet. Pete vowed that the Pentagon would focus on strength and hard power, not the current administration's woke political agenda.
National security nominees have a history of being quickly confirmed by the Senate. We look forward to Pete's hearing and floor vote in January.
He also posted on X:
I had the pleasure of visiting with @PeteHegseth this morning.
Pete is a strong candidate to lead @Deptof Defense. We had great discussions about the need for America's military to remain the best in the world.
I look forward to Pete's hearing and the Senate vote in January.
Blackburn tweeted:
I just spoke with Vice President-elect Vance and Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth.
Pete is a warrior, a veteran advocate, and a well-qualified candidate. He will put our enemies on guard and make our military great again.
Marin reposted an interview he gave with reporters in which he said:
he's perfect He is a decorated military veteran. He has two Bronze Stars and 20 years of service. He retired as a major and became a civilian. … I think he’s a great fit for that position.
“I don't think he has any weaknesses. I think he's very talented, and there's a reason why President Trump trusts him. As he goes through this process, I think he's going to have a hard time understanding what actually happened.” I think you're going to hear more, and you're going to see that this guy is a solid, down-to-earth guy. He's the right guy for the job.”
Marin also posted:
As I've said, I trust President Trump's judgment in choosing the best Cabinet nominees in his administration, and the @SenateGOP will move quickly on these nominees. Earlier today, I visited with @PeteHegseth, a decorated veteran, and look forward to his confirmation.
Mr Hagerty posted:
Today I had a great conversation with Pete Hegseth, a veteran who risked his life for America. (1/3)
Pete knows that the Secretary of Defense's job is to enable the men and women of the military to fulfill their patriotic duty, not to serve as political pawns in a broken Washington. (2/3)
Great choice by @realDonaldTrump to change Washington, and I look forward to supporting his confirmation. (3/3)
According to the hillSen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said he had no concerns about Hegseth and thought he would “do a great job.”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) said the sexual assault allegations “need to go through a verification process and allow Pete and others to answer for this.” He added that Hegseth “denies it and says there was no wrongdoing.” But let's hear from him. ”
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