Senator Roger Wicker, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, has come to the defense of President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, dismissing recent reports as “starkly and factually inaccurate.” Wicker claims that he has received three separate, detailed briefings on the FBI’s background investigation of Hegseth and is standing by the nominee.
The controversy surrounding Hegseth’s nomination has centered around allegations of alcohol abuse and alleged abuse of his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth. According to a CNN report, Samantha Hegseth gave a statement to the FBI in which she claimed that Hegseth drinks more often than he doesn’t. However, Wicker disputes this report, saying that the information is inaccurate and that anonymous sources with “ulterior motives” are spreading false information.
Wicker has also received a briefing from the FBI on the matter, and a source familiar with the investigation confirmed that Samantha Hegseth did provide a statement to the FBI, stating that Hegseth has a problem with alcohol abuse. Despite this, Wicker remains committed to Hegseth’s nomination, saying that he is “ironclad” in his assessment that Hegseth is prepared to be the next Secretary of Defense.
Wicker has called on the Senate to confirm Hegseth “as fast as possible” during this “precarious national security moment.” A vote on Hegseth’s nomination is expected to take place this weekend.
