Republicans look beyond sexual assault, drinking allegations against Pete Hegseth

WASHINGTON — Pete Hegseth’s bid to run the Pentagon during Donald Trump’s second term in the White House appears to be back on track as Republican senators examine allegations against him regarding alcohol abuse And sexual misconduct.

The Army veteran and former Fox News host, who has denied the allegations, met Monday with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a veteran and sexual assault survivor, for the second time. Their discussions appeared to be moving in a positive direction, with Ernst saying he had won concessions from Hegseth on the Pentagon audit and the appointment of a top official to address sexual assault in the military, a key priority for the member of Parliament. the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“While I support Pete throughout this process, I look forward to a fair trial, based on the truth and not anonymous sources,” Ernst said in a statement, echoing Hegseth supporters who have spoken out against the allegations against him as being dictated by the media.witch hunt.”

Ernst’s statement signaled a major shift in mood after the senator pointedly refused to say anything positive about the pending nomination last week, generating speculation that Hegseth could go the way of former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew as Trump’s pick to lead the party. Justice Department after GOP opposition in Senate.

Starting late last week, Ernst received vicious online criticism from pro-Trump influencers, including Trump favorite @Catturd2 calling her a “war pig” and @DC_Draino suggesting that She would face a challenge in the primary election from another Republican. The senator is up for re-election in 2026.

“We’re learning a lot about Joni Ernst and the Senate establishment right now,” said Charlie Kirk, founder of TurningPointUSA. said in a post on social networks. “Trump loyalists are talking about finding a primary challenger. This is getting very serious.

Kirk called Ernst’s statement Monday a big step forward.

Mike Davis, a MAGA diehard and former top GOP Senate aide, said Policy the onus is on the accuser to come forward while appearing to reject the allegations even if they appeared to be true.

“Let’s be clear: Pete Hegseth was drinking too much and couldn’t keep his dick in his pants? He would make a great senator,” Davis wrote in a social media post. job.

Hegseth’s lawyer, meanwhile, threatened to sue the anonymous accuser if she made “false statements” publicly.

Since all members of the Senate Democratic caucus are expected to oppose his candidacy, Hegseth can afford to lose no more than three Republican senators in next year’s Congress, when Republicans control the upper chamber with a slim majority. 53 to 47.

Other key Republican senators are expected to meet with Hegseth this week, including Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). Murkowski said last week that she had “very real concerns” about the allegations against him.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who previously called the allegations against Hegseth “troubling,” also seemed to welcome his bid to lead the nation’s largest and oldest government agency.

“Accusations made regarding the financial management of veterans service organizations and personal misconduct should only be considered by the committee if they are supported by testimony before Congress – not by anonymous sources,” Graham said in a press release, referring to the allegations of poor financial management in a veterans charity run by Hegseth in 2016.

Graham was furious over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation process in 2018, during which a sexual assault accusation was revealed by the media. This ultimately resulted in public testimony from the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, which Graham and other Republicans simply said they did not believe.

Although reports emerged last week that Trump was considering replacing Hegseth with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), the president-elect defended the former Fox News host in a post Friday on his platform. social media Truth Social.

“Pete Hegseth is doing great,” Trump wrote. “His support is strong and deep, much more than Fake News would have us believe. He was an excellent student – ​​educated at Princeton/Harvard – with a military mindset. He will be a fantastic and energetic Secretary of Defense… someone who will lead with charisma and competence. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!”