President-elect Trump expressed support for Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth in an exclusive sit-down interview. NBC News It will be broadcast on Sunday.
“Pete seems to be doing well right now,” Trump told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker.
“I mean, people were a little worried. He's a young guy who actually has a great track record,” the former president added.
His comments come after weeks of scrutiny from colleagues, members of Congress and former Pentagon officials. But President Trump said Hegseth was qualified to take the reins of the country's top security agency.
“He went to Princeton, he went to Harvard. He was a good student both times. But he loved the military, and I think the public is starting to realize that, so we're going to do a lot of other I'm going to work with the people to nominate him,” Trump said in an interview.
He seemed confident that Hegseth would have the votes of the 51 senators to take over the Pentagon.
“A lot of senators have called me and said he's great,” Trump told Welker.
However, NBC News reported that six Republican senators are now questioning the selection, citing reports of sexual assault allegations and drinking problems as grounds for uncertainty. Mr. Trump pushed back on these claims.
“But I've talked to people who know him well, and they say he doesn't have a drinking problem,” Trump asserted.
Despite possible hesitation from Republicans, President Trump insisted the former Fox News host was ethically equipped to handle the role. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance also supports Hegseth's efforts to gain confirmation, scheduling meetings with elected officials and one-on-one time with the candidate and leading Hill party members. etc.
Hegseth also said he would not back down.
