MIAMI - Miami Mayor Francis Saurez suggested during a recent interview on Newsmax that it would be "premature" for President-elect Donald Trump to replace his nomination of Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"Well, I think it's a little premature at this point. I mean, first I think the president has been very, very loyal to his nominees. Again, this is a demonstration of his character," Saurez said. "He's someone who has stuck with every person he has nominated. He's sticking with Pete [Hegseth] for secretary of defense."
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has been embroiled in controversy over allegations of sexual assault by a staffer after the California Federation of Republican Women convention at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel in 2017.
While no charges were filed, Hegseth later paid the alleged victim a settlement out of fear of losing his job with Fox News after she threatened litigation in 2020.
In addition, Hegseth has been accused of having a drinking problem, which he has denied. Over those concerns, the 44-year-old has promised GOP Senators to stop drinking if confirmed to run the Pentagon.
Despite a lack of experience, Trump nominated Hegseth to run the Department of Defense after his presidential victory in November. While known more as a news host, Hegseth served in the United States Army with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan for which he earned two Bronze Star Medals.
Despite the controversies, Hegseth has vowed to "never back down" and continue fighting for the nomination. Trump also has yet to pull Hegseth from the role despite DeSantis and others being rumored for the job.
"I think that's what his [Trump's] focus has been. I think his focus will always be to get his number-one picks through the Senate," Saurez added.
With the current makeup of the Senate at 53-47 for Republicans, Hegseth cannot lose more than three votes without some bipartisan support from Democrats to be confirmed. Notably, any roadblock from the Senate could be broken by Vice President-elect JD Vance if there is a 50-50 tie.
However, Saurez indicated that Trump's victory, which included winning the Electoral College and the popular vote, could give Hegseth some room for comfort.
"Obviously, I'm not here to lecture Senators, but what we saw in November was a resounding victory for the President, and its the American public's way of ratifying his judgment. I think there has to be a lot of deference paid to his judgment and I think that's the first step that needs to happen," Saurez said.
As for DeSantis, the Florida governor's current term ends in January 2027. However, a preemptive nod by Trump would not prevent him from shifting to the Pentagon sooner than expected.
DeSantis has not yet said he would accept the job if offered. He also currently has another major decision to make after Trump nominated Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio for Secretary of State.
"If that does happen if for some reason Pete drops out, then I think we can have the conversation of who's appropriate and whether the governor is one of those people," Saurez added.
