Several Republican senators are pushing for the FBI to conduct a background check on Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick to be the next Secretary of Defense.
The pressure on the leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee comes despite a court-wide push by the Trump campaign in recent weeks to win support from senators, including former Fox News hosts. It shows that the country still faces an uphill battle to gain approval.
A Congressional aide told The Hill that “a large number” of senators have called for an FBI background check on Hegseth, and “a small number of Republican senators” have asked the committee's ranking member, Sen. Roger Wicker ( (R-Mississippi), he admitted asking: about it.
Politico isbe the first to reportThe effort cited Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who called for a background report on Hegseth. Neither firm responded to requests for comment from The Hill.
The Senate Armed Services Committee, which oversees Mr. Hegseth's confirmation, typically grants access to FBI nominees' background checks to the top two senators, currently Mr. Wicker and Chairman Jack Reed, D.R.I. Limited. Lawmakers traditionally review FBI reports without staff present and consult with the administration if they want to release documents to other senators.
However, reports of sexual assault allegations against Hegseth surfaced last month, as well as several articles alleging that Hegseth abused alcohol and drugs.Mismanaged funds while leading two veterans groups—Democrats and some Republicans pressured Wicker and Reid to make the FBI report more widely available.
Hegseth has denied all allegations, particularly the sexual assault allegation from a 2017 encounter that only came to light after his nomination was announced. He said the meeting was consensual and that he has visited the Capitol frequently in recent weeks to make his case to senators.
Although no Republican senators have taken a stand against Hegseth, many have asked for more information about the accusations against him or about his controversial past, including that women should not serve in combat roles. They have expressed a request for more clarification regarding their statements.
They include Republican Sens. Collins, Joni Ernst (Iowa), Tillis and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).
Republicans will hold 53 seats in the next Senate, but Hegseth could lose three Republican votes if all Democrats and independents vote against him.
“Going back to the Kavanaugh hearings, where it took a lot of time and additional background checks to get one of the two people to actually vote for Kavanaugh,” Tillis said last week. Referring to the Supreme Court's confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, he said: “So we have something to do.”
The FBI investigation could be accelerated to conclude ahead of Hegseth's confirmation hearing scheduled for January 14th. These investigations, which typically take several weeks, examine an individual's personal and professional background through interviews with relevant parties, financial records, and past legal reviews. problem.
Meanwhile, there are at least seven Senate military Democrats — Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut), Sen. Tim Kaine (Virginia), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts). ), Sen. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (New York). and Jacky Rosen of Nevada — the charges against Hegseth, who said he wanted more information about his views on women in the military and related past documents.
inletterSent to the Trump campaign on Tuesday, senators expressed “deep concern that Pete Hegseth's behavior toward women, including allegations of sexual assault and harassment, disqualify him as the next Secretary of Defense.” expressed.
