President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, is stepping up his pitch to lead the Pentagon with a series of meetings on Capitol Hill.
Since being nominated, Hegseth has been meeting privately with senators in Washington, D.C., in an effort to gain their support ahead of next year's confirmation hearing.
Mr. Hegseth returned to the Hill for a second day on Wednesday, ahead of a key meeting with incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, incoming Armed Services Committee chairman, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-S.C. The first meeting was with Mississippi State. , R.S.D.
Since he was appointed to the top of the administration, he has been accused of drinking and sexual misconduct, all of which he denies.
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Pete Hegseth (center), President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, heads for a meeting with Republican Sen. Ted Budd (R-Pa.) at the Russell Building on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (Tom Williams)
Multiple sources confirmed to Fox News that the US is considering replacing Hegseth with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as secretary of defense amid allegations against Trump. It is reported that.
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But Hegseth dismissed the possibility of a replacement, telling reporters that he spoke with Trump on Wednesday morning, who reportedly told him to “keep moving forward, keep fighting.”
President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (center) and his wife Jennifer Rausche walk through the Hart Senate Office Building on December 3, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker)
“Why would I retreat?” Hegseth said. “I've always been a fighter. I'm here for the fighters.”
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Hegseth added: “I will be meeting with senators throughout the day.”
Fox News' Bret Baier, Paul Steinhauser and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
