President-elect Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, celebrated his meeting with Senator Joni Ernst, who had initially slow-walked an endorsement of the nominee. Hegseth called the meeting “a great meeting” and praised Ernst’s thoughtfulness and seriousness on issues related to the Defense Department.
Hegseth met with Ernst at the Capitol, where he also spent the day meeting with other Republican senators to rally support amid allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking, and mismanaging a veterans nonprofit organization. He has denied the allegations and vowed not to drink “a drop of alcohol” if confirmed to the cabinet position.
Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, hinted that she may support Hegseth’s confirmation after the meeting, suggesting that he has committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and prioritizing the roles and values of service members.
Hegseth also met with other senators, including Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, and is expected to face more meetings in the coming days as part of the advise and consent process. He emphasized his willingness to answer questions and earn the support of senators.
The Trump administration has been criticized by some Republicans, including Senator Lindsey Graham, who described the allegations against Hegseth as “disturbing.” However, Trump has continued to support Hegseth, and Vice President-elect JD Vance has also expressed support for the nominee.
Hegseth denied the allegations, saying that the left is trying to turn the situation into a “show trial” and emphasizing his commitment to transparency in the process. He praised the senators for having great questions and looking forward to earning their support. Despite the controversy, Hegseth expressed optimism about his chances of confirmation, saying, “I’m going to walk into the door of every one of these senators with just, as an open book, willing to answer their questions, because they deserve answers.”