Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth on Thursday said before his meetings on Capitol Hill with senators he spoke to President-elect Donald Trump who reiterated his support for him.
“I spoke to Trump this morning, just a few minutes ago. He supports us fully,” Hegseth told reporters.
The day before, Hegseth also spoke to Trump who told him he was behind him “all the way.”
The Trump-Vance transition team also on Wednesday blasted out an op-ed written by Hegseth published in the Wall Street Journal.
Asked how meetings with senators were going, he said, “Great.”
Asked about how his meeting with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) — who is rumored to want the defense secretary job — went, Hegseth said, “It was constructive” and “candid.”
President-elect Trump stands by Pete because he KNOWS that he has the backs of the warfighters NOT the warmongers. pic.twitter.com/3uOaurLORR
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) December 5, 2024
Hegseth also received a vote of confidence from Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. on Thursday.
He reposted an interview of Hegseth’s former co-worker at Fox News Will Cain defending him, along with the message, “The Military Industrial Complex fears @PeteHegseth.”
The Military Industrial Complex fears @PeteHegseth https://t.co/hZmeTMf4ek
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 5, 2024
Their support comes amid a smear campaign against his nomination to lead the Department of Defense, based on anonymously-sourced allegations from as far back as 10 years ago.
Cain and dozens of other Fox News hosts, employees, and contributors have come out to vouch for Hegseth and dispute those allegations. Even Fox News host Geraldo Rivera — a critic of Trump — has defended Hegseth.
He posted Wednesday:
Worked with Major Pete Hegseth at Fox News from 2017-2023, mostly on Fox & Friends Weekend. I can say unequivocally that I’ve never seen him rowdy, drunk or even tipsy. He seemed a serious person for whom his combat service-and concern for fellow veterans-was central.
Worked with Major Pete Hegseth at Fox News from 2017-2023, mostly on Fox & Friends Weekend. I can say unequivocally that I've never seen him rowdy, drunk or even tipsy. He seemed a serious person for whom his combat service-and concern for fellow veterans-was central.
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) December 4, 2024
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