Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday hoping to shore up support as he faces fresh allegations of misconduct and sexual misconduct.
The allegations were on the minds of Republican senators, one of whom called the latest reports “very troubling.” Several GOP lawmakers suggested Hegseth should go ahead and confront them.
But Hegseth, holding his wife’s hand as he walked through the halls, continued to ignore her. New Yorker report that he was forced to withdraw from two nonprofit veterans groups—Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans of America—amid accusations of financial mismanagement, sexist behavior and other disqualifying behavior.
The magazine cited the detailed seven-page report — compiled by multiple former CVA employees — saying that at one point, Hegseth had to be restrained while drunk to join dancers on stage at a Louisiana strip club. where he brought his team. The report also alleges that Hegseth, who was married at the time, and other members of his management team sexually harassed female employees at the organization, the magazine said.
ABC News has not independently confirmed the magazine’s account. Hegseth’s attorney, Tim Parlator, told The New Yorker that the claims were “outrageous.”
“We will generally meet with every senator who wants to meet with us, and we welcome their advice as we move forward with the advice and the consensus process,” Hegseth told reporters as he arrived for a second day of sitting. the senators
Hegseth was asked dozens of questions by reporters, including what he would say to those concerned about the allegations, whether the women who spoke out were lying, whether he had a drinking problem and whether Trump’s transition team was aware of the allegations. .
He didn’t respond, including when ABC’s Elizabeth Schulze asked about GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, saying she thought he should accept a background check.
Trump’s team came to Hegseth’s defense on Tuesday. General Counsel Jason Miller, in an interview on CNN, tried to dismiss the accusations as “appearance and gossip.”
“So as far as Pete Hegseth is concerned, there’s absolutely no concern, and we feel very good about his positioning being confirmed by the Senate,” Miller said. “Now we have to take the process very seriously.”
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth walks through the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, December 3, 2024, in Washington.
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President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer Rauchet walk through the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, December 3, 2024, in Washington.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Republican senators, who returned to Washington this week with questions about Hegseth and Trump’s latest picks, also say they want a “normal” confirmation process that would include FBI background checks.
But some of their statements have so far eluded glowing approval.
“I think some of these articles are very troubling. Obviously he has a chance to defend here, but some of these things are going to be difficult. Time will tell,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Leadership comes from the top, and I want to make sure that every young woman who enters the military space is respected,” Graham said, apparently referring to Hegseth. Comments against women in combat roles.
Sen. Josh Hawley, another member of the main panel, argued that Hegseth would have a chance to answer all questions during the confirmation process, though he noted that some of his Republican colleagues are “very concerned.”
“I would ask my Republican colleagues, who are very concerned, I know some of them are expressing public concern, that’s fine, but I would ask them, before we make a decision, before we make a decision, let them hold this hearing and let’s hear the process here and give to answer this and more and explain this vision to you,” Hawley said.
Senator Josh Hawley, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, leaves a meeting with Senator JD Vance and former Congressman Matt Gaetz at the U.S. Capitol on November 20, 2024 in Washington.
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Senator Tommy Tuberville, who emerged as the “biggest” pick for Hegseth on Monday, similarly suggested Hegseth could face headwinds.
“Obviously, to some extent, people are not going to vote to confirm,” Tuberville said after the meeting when asked about the allegations. “But what I know when I talk about what I’ve read, what I’ve learned and what I’ve been around, I’ll vote for him.”
Many suggest that he should go ahead and deal with it.
“Well, these allegations that have come out in the last 12 to 14 hours are a surprise to all of us, and so yes, he has to address them because this was not something that we were aware of, nor was President Trump aware of,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis. , R-Wyo., met with Hegseth Monday night with a group of senators.
Asked about his ability to move forward in the nomination process, Lummis said he hopes to meet with him one-on-one and deferred to how he addresses the new allegations.
“It depends on how he deals with the issues that have been brought up,” Lummis said. “I think some of the initial issues raised about an incident in California were properly addressed and would not have hindered his nomination, but there are some new things that have come to light in the last 12 to 14 hours that he needs to address.”
“I’ve read all the articles, I’ve seen all the allegations. And Mr. Hegseth will have to deal with it,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.
“I want to know if they’re true or not, and I want to hear his side of the story. And he’s going to have to address them,” Kennedy added.
Hegseth met Tuesday in the offices of Sen. Deb Fischer, one of two female Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Bill Hagerty.
He was also scheduled to meet with Republican senators Ted Budd, Shelley Moore Capito, Jim Risch and Eric Schmitt.
Schmitt said he would “ask questions” about the allegations.
