Conservative women are rallying behind Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for Secretary of Defense, expressing their utmost support and describing him as a “patriot” who loves his country and people deeply.
Mary Vought, Vice President of Strategic Communications at the Heritage Foundation, is among those who has actually worked alongside Hegseth, at Concerned Veterans for America. She said in an industry where women are often treated differently, Hegseth “never did that.”
“I worked closely with Pete Hegseth at Concerned Veterans for America and traveled with him for media outreach. When you’re a woman in a field dominated by men, sometimes you get treated differently, but Pete never did that. During our time working together, he always conducted business with the utmost professionalism and respect,” she said, describing him as “diligent” and “responsive.”
He “cared deeply about reforming the VA so that America’s heroic veterans could get the care that they deserve,” she said.
Ultimately, Vought believes Hegseth will make an “excellent” Defense Secretary.
Gold Star mother Karen Vaughn, mother of SOC Aaron Vaughn, said those who “honestly” know Hegseth, know the truth about him, no matter what smears the establishment media has thrown.
“In a world of duplicity, it’s rare to find a soul as sincere … as profoundly genuine as Pete. When you are blessed enough to honestly know him, you know the truth about him. His word is his bond. He’s a man of integrity, a patriot who dearly loves his country, but most importantly, a man who truly loves people,” she said, explaining that “Pete will stand in your corner, come hell or high water, if your cause is just.”
She continued:
I worked side-by-side with Pete for several years and have been his friend for over a decade. While on his team with Concerned Veterans for America, I can tell you unequivocally that women were heard, women were respected, and women were consistently offered strong roles of leadership. The benefits of my time spent working alongside him are innumerable and this nation and our defenders – male and female – will be fortunate to have a man of Pete’s caliber lead our Department of Defense.
Fox News host Rachel Campos Duffy — wife of former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI),Trump’s nominee for Transportation Secretary — described Hegseth as a “good man, father, friend and patriot.”
“He is also the best colleague you could wish for in my profession – the rare person who is always kind, generous, loyal and self-sacrificing for the sake of the show,” she said.
“Everyone who worked with him loved him and he is deeply missed. Pete and I have been friends for a long time – even before I worked at FOX. Over the course of those 10 years I have witnessed a profound and sincere transformation in Pete the man. I also know and love his family – his wife, Jen, and his 7 children,” she continued, assuring Americans that Hegseth is a “devoted and caring family man.”
“I have ZERO doubt in his character and in his ability to execute his duty as Secretary of Defense with utmost professionalism,” she said. “He will make America proud.”
Concerned Veterans for America’s Tina R. Kingston, LTC(R), said she can personally vouch for Hegseth’s work ethic, as she worked for and with him.
“After working for and with Pete Hegseth for two years, I feel that I can testify to his work ethic, patriotism to our Great Nation, leadership, and his character. When I was asked to apply for the Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) Louisiana State Director position, the main reason I went forward was my research on the organization’s mission and videos of speeches by Pete Hegseth. From his speeches, I felt his message was sincere in his desire to assist Veterans by pushing for VA Healthcare reform,” she said, continuing:
During my tenure with CVA, Pete Hegseth led the organization from the front which impressed me. Pete was always a true “Officer and Gentleman” toward his female Staff. I felt respected and my opinions were heard. After retirement from military service I worked for other organizations in leadership roles where I did not feel as a female I was treated with the same respect as my male counterparts. This never happened while Pete Hegseth was CEO of CVA.
During my military service I worked my way up in rank from E-4 to 05 in the U.S. Army and Army National Guard over twenty-nine and a half years of service. It is very important to me to have a strong patriotic leader who treats all with respect and equality as the Department of Defense Secretary. There is no doubt in my military mind that Pete Hegseth will ensure this occurs at all levels in DOD. I know that he will ensure our Military Service Members are trained to surpass expectations and will insist they have the equipment readiness required for mission success.
As the former CVA Louisiana State Director, I took offense with the published articles accusing Pete Hegseth of inappropriate behavior in Louisiana during a deployment with other states assisting our operation. First, Pete was never in Louisiana during the event mentioned in the articles and second, Pete would never have treated anyone as the article stated. I never saw him over a two-year period treat a female with nothing but the utmost respect.
“When you felt respected by your former supervisor, it makes it easy to say I would go to work for him again at anytime or place. It was a pleasure to have worked for Pete and I wish him success when he is confirmed as the Department of Defense Secretary,” she added.
Similarly, Holly K. Talley, former local director in Louisiana for Concerned Veterans for America who worked alongside Hegseth, said she could tell he was “different” from day one.
“He was the very definition of a leader, a gentleman and had a clear passion for effecting change for our nation’s heroes and warfighters. He was not just another walking talking point that lacked substance. He was a genuine leader that was walking the walk,” she said, adding that Hegseth was “not afraid to speak up, listen, ask the tough questions and to learn from those around him when he may not know the answer.”
“His title did not place him above those that worked for him or make him more important than those he served alongside,” she said, continuing:
As a leader, I have always had the philosophy that the moment you become unwilling to learn, is the moment you become ineffective as a leader. But being a woman in a male-dominated career field can present a challenge to this philosophy. While many male leaders in positions of authority talk “at” you and not “to” you, Pete was never that kind of boss or leader. I can honestly say, that in all my conversations with Pete, I never once felt disrespected, dismissed or ignored. He valued and respected my insight and always took the time to talk “to” me and not “at” me. While many can be condescending and dismissive in their tone, especially to those under their authority, I never left a conversation with Pete feeling unheard or disrespected.
As a female, it is rare to walk away from every conversation feeling heard and respected. But with Pete Hegseth, that is exactly the type of leader he is. I have no doubt that he will bring this same level of leadership and respect to the DOD as Secretary of Defense. Pete is not afraid to ask the tough questions, make the hard decisions and lead from the front to ensure our nation’s heroes and warfighters are equipped to properly face the battle ahead.
“Pete Hegseth is the caliber leader we need for such a time as this,” Talley added.
Judy Mayka, a former colleague of Hegseth at Vets for Freedom, said Hegseth was “transparent, ethical, fair and fostered an environment of respect among the team regardless of race, gender or background.”
She added, “On no occasion did I experience or observe anything that would have led me to question Pete’s ethics or integrity.”
The clear support follows an onslaught of negative media coverage, which began quite literally right after Trump nominated the Army National Guard combat veteran. Hit piece after hit piece dropped — infused with anonymous allegations — yet the military veteran refused to withdraw or back down. Rather, he doubled down, and Trump and his allies backed him all the way.
He met with senators as some of them signaled that they could be wavering — those such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who called the allegations “very disturbing.”
Despite the unfounded rumors of Trump considering a replacement for Hegseth, he fought back.
As Breitbart News detailed:
On Wednesday, December 4, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) issued a terse post on X after meeting with Hegseth, saying she appreciated his service and they had a “frank and thorough discussion.”
But Wednesday was also the day Hegseth began fighting back.
He began the morning telling reporters he had no plans to withdraw his nomination, that he spoke directly to Trump and that the president-elect told him he was with him “all the way.”
The positive results continued to cascade as Hegseth faced the allegations head on, and many flocked to his defense.
“He also went on the Megyn Kelly Show podcast and addressed in detail every single anonymous allegation leveled at him,” Breitbart News reported, as Trump even posted an op-ed on his Truth Social account, defending his nominee. And one by one, the mainstream media began to realize that the negative media blitz failed. Senators began walking back their doubts. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) backed Hegseth throughout the process, and others followed suit.
I had a very positive, thorough and candid meeting with Pete Hegseth about his nomination to be the next Secretary of Defense. I appreciated how forthright and forthcoming he was.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 9, 2024
I have known Pete for many years, and I am familiar with his service in Afghanistan, as I was doing… pic.twitter.com/ndMj8pQHSI
Hegseth’s hearing before the Armed Services Committee begins Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
