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Hegseth being replaced? Allegations, reactions, confirmation chances

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President-elect Donald Trump may tap Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace Pete Hegseth as the secretary of defense nominee if he fails to secure enough votes in the Senate. Anonymous sources familiar with the discussions have told several news outlets DeSantis could step in.

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As of Wednesday morning, Dec. 4, Hegseth remained confident in his nomination. He told reporters that he spoke with Trump, who encouraged him to “keep going” and “keep fighting.”

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He added, “Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter. I’m here for the warfighters. This is personal and passionate for me.”

Hegseth, Trump’s original pick for secretary of defense, has faced a series of allegations since his nomination, with media outlets covering claims ranging from sexual assault to financial mismanagement.

Hegseth’s mother has also accused him of mistreating women, and the latest media reports have highlighted concerns over his drinking.

Hegseth and his supporters have denied the allegations against him, defending his qualifications for the role in the Trump administration.

“The left is afraid of Trump and me. So they smear with fake, anonymous sources and BS stories. They don’t want truth,” Hegseth wrote in a post on X.

The defense secretary nominee continued to defend himself against new allegations of a drinking problem. NBC News reported it spoke with 10 anonymous Fox employees for the story. Two people, according to NBC, said they smelled alcohol on Hegseth before he appeared on air as co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend.”

Two of those employees, along with another source, claimed that Hegseth appeared on television after discussing being hungover.

Several current and former Fox News employees have since denied these reports, calling them “false,” “wrong” and “malicious” on social media.

In addition to his colleagues, Hegseth’s mother spoke out following the publication of an email she sent him in 2018, which was obtained by The New York Times. The email criticized him for mistreating women. His mother later apologized, explaining that the email was written “in anger” during a difficult divorce.

In a follow-up interview with Fox, Hegseth’s mother said she now wants people to judge him for who he is today, not based on past media reports.

Hegseth’s confirmation is now in the hands of the Senate. Republicans hold a majority, but he can only afford to lose the support of three GOP senators if no Democrats vote for him. While some Republican senators have expressed public support, others have voiced doubts.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, R, told CBS News that the allegations were “troubling” but said Hegseth has a chance to defend himself.

“Some of these articles are very disturbing,” Graham said. “Time will tell. I like Pete. I’ve known him for a long time.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said that Hegseth’s confirmation could be in jeopardy. He told CBS that Hegseth lacks about five to 10 votes.

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[KARAH RUCKER]

TRUMP’S PICK FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE “PETE HEGSETH” HAS SEEN A FAIR SHARE OF ALLEGATIONS FLOOD MEDIA HEADLINES SINCE HIS NOMINATION.

FROM “A POLICE REPORT DETAILING A SEXUAL ASSAULT CLAIM” AGAINST HEGSETH –

TO HIS MOTHER “ACCUSING HER SON OF MISTREATING WOMEN FOR YEARS.”

THE NEW YORKER DETAILING FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT ALLEGATIONS IN ITS PIECE TITLED “PETE HEGSETH’S SECRET HISTORY.”

TO THE LATEST ALLEGATIONS OF “HEGSETH’S DRINKING WORRIED COLLEAGUES AT FOX NEWS.”

NOW –

THERE ARE REPORTS TRUMP COULD TAP FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS TO REPLACE HEGSETH AS HIS PICK FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE –

IF HEGSETH CAN’T GARNER ENOUGH SENATE VOTES FOR CONFIRMATION.

THATS ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE NEWS OUTLETS CITING ANONYMOUS SOURCES FAMILIAR WITH THE TALKS.

BUT AS OF WEDNESDAY MORNING –

HEGSETH SAYS HE IS STILL THE GUY TO LEAD THE NATION’S MILITARY –

AND THAT TRUMP STILL THINKS SO TOO.

I spoke to the President-elect this morning. He said keep going, keep fighting…

Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter. I’m here for the warfighters. This is personal & passionate for me.”

HEGSETH AND HIS SUPPORTERS HAVE DENIED ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM – AND DEFENDED HIS PLACE TO TAKE A LEADING ROLE IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

HEGSETH POSTING ON X –

“”THE LEFT IS AFRAID OF TRUMP AND ME. SO THEY SMEAR WITH FAKE, ANONYMOUS SOURCES AND BS STORIES. THEY DON’T WANT TRUTH.”

HEGSETH REMAINED ON THE DEFENSE WEDNESDAY FOLLOWING THE LATEST ACCUSATIONS OF A DRINKING PROBLEM.

NBC CITING 10 ANONYMOUS FOX EMPLOYEES.

REPORTING – Two of those people said that on more than a dozen occasions during Hegseth’s time as a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” which began in 2017, they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air. Those same two people, plus another, said that during his time there he appeared on television after they’d heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set. 

A SLEW OF FORMER AND CURRENT EMPLOYEES OF FOX NEWS –

SPOKE OUT AGAINST THE REPORT ON X.

CALLING IT “A FALSE SMEAR” “WRONG” AND “MALICIOUS”.

IT’S NOT ONLY FOX COLLEAGUES SPEAKING OUT.

HEGSETH’S MOTHER JOINED FOX NEWS WEDNESDAY AFTER AN EMAIL SHE SENT TO HER SON IN 2018 WAS OBTAINED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES.

THE TIMES REPORTED THE MOTHER OF PETE HEGSETH “wrote: “I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth.” Mrs. Hegseth, in a phone interview with The New York Times on Friday, said that she had sent her son an immediate follow-up email at the time apologizing for what she had written. She said she had fired off the original email “in anger, with emotion” at a time when he and his wife were going through a very difficult divorce.

“I want people to look at pete, judge people, or understand him for who he is today and to disregard the media, that was 7 years ago, and most of it is misinformation.”

HEGSETH’S FUTURE AS A POTENTIAL CABINET MEMBER –

IS IN THE HANDS OF SENATORS.

REPUBLICANS DO HAVE THE MAJORITY –

BUT IF NO DEMOCRAT VOTES TO CONFIRM HEGSETH –

THEN HE CAN ONLY AFFORD TO LOSE THE SUPPORT OF THREE SENATE REPUBLICANS.

WHILE SOME – ARE PUBLICLY BACKING HEGSETH –

OTHERS ARE CASTING PUBLIC DOUBTS.

LIKE SENATOR LINDSAY GRAHAM SPEAKING TO CBS NEWS.

“Some of these articles are very disturbing, he has a chance to defend himself here, but some of this stuff is gonna be difficult, time will tell. I like pete, i’ve known him for a long time.”

“Is it potential trouble?”

“Some of the things have to be addressed and we’ll see.”

CBS REPORTER SCOTT MACFARLANE ALSO SPOKE WITH SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL ABOUT WHAT HE’S HEARING ABOUT THE CONFIRMATION OF HEGSETH –

WHO SAID “I’d be surprised if we’re still talking about Pete Hegseth on Monday”

Blumenthal said there are 5–to-10 needed votes that Hegseth is lacking.

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