When President Donald Trump (R) announced that Pete Hegseth (R) was his pick for Secretary of Department of Defense, some conservatives cheered and others were left scratching their heads. After former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) withdrew his nomination for Attorney General, reports are circulating that Hegseth could be next to withdraw his nomination.
Since the announcement, Hegseth has been embroiled in controversy. A recent revelation showed that he had allegedly paid a secret financial settlement to a woman who had accused him of committing rape in 2017. Moreover, private emails between Hegseth and his mother were also uncovered, depicting an exchange wherein his mother accuses him of being abusive towards women.
Hegseth has denied the accusations, and he recently appeared on the Megyn Kelly Show to talk about the negative publicity, pushing back against the scrutiny and calling himself "the right guy to be in the Pentagon."
.@PeteHegseth: "I'm a very different person than I was 10 years ago, than I was 15 years ago. But I'm also the right guy to be in the Pentagon, to understand what our young warfighters are going through - what we send them to do, what we ask them to do tour after tour after… pic.twitter.com/W6845QRpj3
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) December 4, 2024
Rumors have also begun to swirl regarding the possibility of Hegseth withdrawing his nomination and being replaced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). President Trump, Governor DeSantis, or Hegseth have not commented on the rumor, but Democrats on Capitol Hill are eager to see the former Army National Guard and political commentator remain on Fox News.
Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) took to social media to share an article detailing the controversial material surrounding the Defense Secretary nominee. On X, Rep. Schultz simply shared that "Hegseth is clearly unfit and unqualified to lead our military."
Hegseth is clearly unfit and unqualified to lead our military.https://t.co/yHY0kvWWbz
— Debbie Wasserman Schultz (@DWStweets) December 4, 2024
In contrast, Republicans appear to overwhelmingly support Hegseth for Defense Secretary, and many have taken to social media to show support for him. Utah Senator Mike Lee (R) has taken to social media to enthusiastically share that Republican Senators are ready to confirm Hegseth.
We’re going to confirm @PeteHegseth! https://t.co/4hF0BcoxaK
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) December 5, 2024
Hegseth maintains his innocence when confronted with his past accusations, and he dismisses any criticism as the result of a "smear campaign" against him. In a recent social media post, the Fox News host argued that "the Left is afraid of disruptors and change agents" like himself and President Trump, so he accuses liberals of using "fake, anonymous sources & BS stories" against him.
I’m doing this for the warfighters, not the warmongers.
The Left is afraid of disrupters and change agents. They are afraid of @realDonaldTrump—and me. So they smear w/ fake, anonymous sources & BS stories. They don’t want truth.
Our warriors never back down, & neither will I. pic.twitter.com/nDQ5aUlv7i
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) December 4, 2024
